


Starless Horizon

by bumblbee



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Character(s), Eventual Romance, F/M, M/M, Multi, Original Character(s), Romance, Science Fiction, romance... in space, super cool spacey things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2020-10-30 14:14:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 252,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20773685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblbee/pseuds/bumblbee
Summary: Leaving her dying planet behind, one brave Aurian woman sets out to find a new home for her people. Along the way, she unexpectedly finds both friendship and love.





	1. (setting info)

**Author's Note:**

> An older rp between myself (Vela) and @mistywilmot (Dritz.) Set in the same universe as Partners in Crime. I wanted to have it all in one place, and I am incredibly fond of the work we've done.
> 
> The first chapter contains species/planet info and the main setting/tech info, which is optional to read if you want to know more.

## Species and Worlds

#### Aurctas/Aurians

**Planet Name:** Aurctas

**Brief Planet Description:** Aurctas is the furthest planet from the sun in the Aunale solar system. As such, it is largely cold and inhospitable with a long rotation period. The length of a day on Aurctas is the same as the length of three days on Earth. The planet’s radius is roughly eight thousand miles, which is twice that of Earth. There is only one mountain range, and one ocean which encompasses about 30% of the planet. The rest of the land is a flat plain with very minimal plant or animal life. Temperatures are frigid year-round, with frequent snow and ice storms, and “summer” on Aurctas only means having to wear one less layer of clothing.

**Species Name:** Aura (Aurian)

**General History:** The Aurians arrived thousands of years ago as they sought to escape their original dying world in another solar system. Aurctas was the only uninhabited planet within their range, and they learned to adapt and survive with help from off-world traders who brought supplies they could not obtain there. The form of currency used to trade is a rare metal with a distinct blue tint that is mined from beneath the surface of the planet.

The Aurian way of life consists mainly of their mining efforts as they simply attempt to survive long enough for the next trading ship to visit. Most of them are resigned to this fate, but there are a few who wish to leave the planet and find a better home. There are roughly two million Aurians currently living on Aurctas.

**Features:** They are generally between 5'5 to 6’ tall with pale skin from lack of sunlight. Their hair is pure white to light grey and kept cut short by most. They lack gender and are able to reproduce with any other of their race, excepting relatives. However, once a mate is chosen, they bond for life and become sexually compatible for bearing children. Largely humanoid, they have ears with tips that extend into a point. At one time the Aurians had a spoken language, but they have forgotten it throughout the years. Speaking in such cold temperatures had become impractical. They developed a complex system of sign and body language, combined with expression. While they do not prefer to do so, they are still able to speak aloud with some effort, mostly for use in trading. A written language still exists and is used occasionally. Their life span is about 500 Earth years.

**Space Travel Capability:** The Aurians let their technology fall into disrepair during their centuries spent on Aurctas, although the methods and theories have been preserved through both writing and video recording. Now they live as nomads and miners on the planet, waiting for the day when they can find no more of the precious metal which allows them to trade. A small handful of the Aurians have recently dedicated themselves to the repair of the remaining ships, whether anyone else supports them or not.

#### Chrysala/Chrysalans

**Planet Name:** Chrysala

**Brief Planet Description:** The largest planet in the Manasi Sector, Chrysala has a heavy, humid atmosphere that can feel oppressive to off-worlders, but nonetheless is breathable, and allows for lush vegetation. Chrysala’s people are industrious, and the planet is heavily populated, with enormous, dense cities. As such, farmland has needed to be elevated and protected from building upon.

**Species Name:** Chrysalan

**General History:** Chrysalans are a race of humanoids with certain similarities to insects, advancing in much the same way as any other humanoids, developing space travel and extending trade relationships, with their primary exports being food and machinery. Chrysala is governed by a matriarchal council, with each member acting as an overseer for a region of the planet, protecting its interests. The meetings are managed by a Grand Overseer, who acts as an independent party and has the authority to overturn actions she feels are not within the interests of the people.

There used to be little in the way of cultural pursuits; art, sculpture, film, music, or fictional literature was unlikely to come from Chrysalans; they are practical and hardworking, and everything on the planet is built for function over aesthetic desires. In recent years, however, major cities have seen a surge in appreciation for off-world cultures; self-expression through fashion has become more common amongst the young, and Chrysalan tailors are slowly gaining popularity off-planet.

With such a strong desire towards industrial work and development of their world, retirement is almost unheard of. The lifespan of the average Chrysalan is about 200 Earth years, with adolescence at around 40 years old. Polyamory is common, with most families having primary partners specifically to reproduce with, and additional lovers to fulfill any further romantic wishes. While multiple partners of any gender is accepted, it is still quite rare for one to take a lover of another race.

**Features:** While they can be as physically diverse as any other humanoid race, most Chrysalans tend to be tall and lithe, with skin tones in shades of blue, purple, green or black, with mottled areas, pupil-less eyes of any color, and antennae raising from the forehead. Females also develop colorful wings at adolescence, but they have become more an accessory with the invention of other methods of transport. The Chrysalan language consists of complex chirps, clicks, and buzzes, combined with specific movement of the antennae, and its written form is sharp and scratchy, read from left to right. Their currency used to be small metal chips with a portrait of one of the current governing women, but these became redundant as trade channels opened and they started using the galactic standard units instead.

**Space Travel Capability:** Space travel is possible for any Chrysalan with either the right job or enough money and the right datawork.

**Additional Fun Info:**The ancient Chrysalans were far more insectile than those beings currently known as such. Modern-day Chrysalans, humanoids with colorful skin, antennae, and wings in females, are the result of humans settling on the planet and breeding with natives.

While much of the previous incarnation of the species has since died out; large outer mandibles, multiple limbs and fragmented vision, Chrysalans of the modern era have strangely retained their antennae, despite developing a stronger spoken language.

Antennae protrude from the forehead, usually anywhere between three to ten inches in length. Modern Chrysalan consider longer antennae to be a feminine trait, so females with longer antennae are considered desirable and fertile, while males with shorter antennae are considered stronger and more virile. While ancient Chrysalan antennae would stand, antennae now drape back over the head, probably due to there being less need to communicate with them.

As noted, they remain draped at rest, an inch or two above the scalp, but if a Chrysalan feels threatened or otherwise uneasy, the antennae, being a vulnerable extremity, will flatten against the scalp or hair to minimize the risk of injury to them. Interestingly this will also happen when the species is humbled or otherwise submissive to another.

It is common to see a contented Chrysalan’s antennae waving gently, the motion supposedly in time with their pulse. Those on high alert, or otherwise moving into their fight or flight response will have their antennae move into a high arch, or even stand up completely. Previously they would be able to better sense motion, but with the evolution of more human senses, this is no longer the case.

The rare sight of a Chrysalan’s antennae moving forward to drape over the face would indicate illness or severe depression; it is not uncommon to see this when one is grieving. 

Some Chrysalans have learned to control their antennae independently, meaning they can twist them together or move them separately from one another. Unfortunately, the increasing ability to do so, coupled with the diminishing need for their antennae means that Chrysalan emotions are no longer so easy to read as they once were. Some believe in the next hundreds of years to come that evolution may cause the antennae to disappear completely.

#### Coronus/Coronals

**Planet Name:** Coronus

**Brief Planet Description:** Coronus is the third planet from the sun in the Corete system. The high temperatures here would normally be too hot to sustain life, but the planet's inhabitants are unusual in composition and their body temperature is also well above average, even flaring occasionally higher under stress or extreme moods. The surface of Coronus is rocky with very little water, and at least a dozen active and inactive volcanoes dotted across the landscape. Plant life is surprisingly abundant, with hardy grasses and shrubs which are only edible to native creatures. Unsuprisingly, these animals are also strange in shape and thrive in hot temperatures.

Cities cover 70% of Coronus, in several cases even built around volcanoes. They are almost entirely constructed of metal with an extremely high melting point, found in abundance under the surface of the planet. Surrounding the cities are farms for growing food for herd animals, many of which are kept there as well.

**Species Name:** Coronal

**General History:** The story is told that it took millions of years for Coronus to mold the Coronal in order for them to function as they do today, and that story is likely true. Coronal are shape-shifters who can appear as nearly anything they wish, though their regular form is roughly humanoid with dark red skin and dark hair. Their abilities also lend them a high tolerance to heat, and it is common to hear them complain of being cold anytime they are off the planet.

Most Coronal are lower class soldiers, farmers and herders. There is a middle class of scientists and engineers as well. They are an extremely superstitious species and firmly believe in the divinity of their king or queen, who always carries the Coronus surname. The current ruler is King Fera Coronus VII. The monarch has complete control of every decision at every level of government, and spends most of their time either working at this, or working at procreation. They are considered divine after reaching the throne, therefore having many children is necessary to carry on this tradition, as youth is a dangerous time for any Coronal.

Coronal live up to a thousand Earth years, and bond for life in male-female pairs for the most part. Deviations from this do occur and same-sex couples are also considered acceptable, unless one is a king or queen. They tend to keep to their true form a large part of the time, though their shape-shifting talents can be used for either good or bad purposes. Offworld, Coronal are largely regarded with suspicion and mistrust, as they tend to be war-like when it suits them and are not above using their unique skills to advantage. They are entirely carnivorous and quite susceptible to addiction in the form of drugs or alcohol.

**Space Travel Capability:** Even though their technology is incredibly advanced, they remain superstitious and regard it as a form of "magic." Their scientists and engineers are indeed regarded rather as magicians instead. They have built many ships, large warships and smaller trading ships and luxury craft, regularly engaging in trade and some say piracy, though this has never been proven outside Coronus. They have advanced lightspeed drives and replication technology, as well as advanced medical capabilities seen nowhere else. Soldiers frequently patrol the system in watch of any threats. The truth is that no one would be foolish enough to attack the Coronal, as they are seen by many as bullying and dangerous, not worth trying to engage beyond trade, which is done with caution and to avoid their hostility at being refused.

#### Trelos/Trelosians

**Planet Name:** Trelos

**Brief Planet Description:** Trelos is a planet which is warm and mostly humid year-round thanks to its proximity to two stars. There is a remarkable abundance of plant life with hundreds of varieties that are capable of being farmed, yet very little in the way of animal life. Based on fossil findings, it is possible to conclude that an extinction-level event occurred in the distant past which decimated the planet of wildlife, with plants somehow recovering quickly and spreading in vast quantities and varieties.

There are six main landmasses on Trelos, only half of which are inhabited by the Trelosians as they live a largely rural, farming lifestyle. The seas separating continents are warm and fairly shallow, also filled with many types of plants. The water itself even appears green, the color being one to associate with Trelos almost more than anything else.

**Species Name:** Trelosians

**General History:** Trelosians are not native to Trelos; they first colonized the planet over one thousand years ago as they fled their own world under heavy attack by a hostile force. They were quick to take advantage of the planet’s natural resources but were careful not to over-exploit, being mindful of the need to keep a balance and preserve Trelos as long as possible. They also quickly adapted into a farming lifestyle, offering a wealth of trade to other planets in the way of plant food both exotic and more common.

**Description:** They generally range in size from 4'5 to 5’ tall and are slightly reptilian in appearance, with very smooth, almost unnoticeable scales which are deep purple and glossy under certain lighting conditions. Their hands and feet are somewhat larger than average with blunt claws. They possess no hair on their heads or otherwise and have short vestigial tails which are usually covered by clothing, although there remain a few with tails slightly longer. Their lives span about 90 years in good health and they are not hostile in nature, but have a surprising amount of agility and ferocity to defend themselves if necessary. All of them speak Basic in addition to their own language, which possesses a raspy sound and at least a dozen different clicking noises.

Trelosians have complete equality between sexes and jointly rule in a rotating system based on who wishes to do so, making it a very informal system. They do not form partnerships between each other and typically only mate for the purpose of continuing the race. Their love of plants is very strong, and they have a great devotion to farming, with only a few in more “scientific” positions within their society. These tend to whisper of how sentient plant life possibly exists on the planet, but are not taken too seriously by the rest of the population. They live in small villages with a reasonable amount of technology, which are connected to each other in long chains across the surface of the planet. High-speed travel is possible using solar-powered vehicles.

**Space Travel Capability:** They possess a handful of ships, now used for trading purposes only, but they generally dislike travel. Most of their business comes to them instead, and the Trelosians use their earnings to purchase whatever their planet cannot provide. However, many of them are content as vegetarian and self-sufficient, and wish to slow their trading further.

## Hesperus Alpha

Space station Hesperus Alpha (as it is known to its human visitors) is a large station just outside of Earth's solar system. It was built jointly by a handful of races who contributed materials, money, and labor. The station is five miles in length and three miles "tall," appearing as a series of rings with walkways between. There are six rings in all, referred to as the following:

First Ring: The uppermost area of the station. Anyone coming or going will do so here. There are hundreds of landing areas for ships as well as plenty of space for ship storage. Some even attempt to sell their ships from this area, which is allowed. Staying for any length of time at Hesperus Alpha requires a small electronic card to be issued to you which contains your name, ship's name and fingerprint or other identifying mark encrypted in a special code. This card allows you to purchase goods on the station and grants access to your quarters if rented. The cards are obtained through Station Officers located throughout the First Ring.

The First Ring also naturally contains all the services needed by ships, such as repair and refueling, and there are merchants who sell customization services and ship parts.

Second Ring: Primarily the infirmary and station storage area. There are medical officers trained to treat the illnesses and injuries of a wide number of races available for those in need. This level of the station also contains a beautiful holographic "garden" with a variety of plants and wandering animals which, while certainly an illusion, is such a good one that many can't even tell the difference.

Third Ring: The embassies. There is one room for each race who wishes it, but many say it has grown too crowded. Depending on the size of the race there are a number of representatives available to write permits or handle other governmental details for those who are far from their home planet. The less fortunate embassies are only staffed with a single android, but these are no less adept at their job.

Fourth Ring: The guest quarters take up nearly the whole of the fourth level, but there are also many common rooms for relaxation and meeting halls for those who have come to the station to conduct business. These quarters come in single or double size only and are furnished comfortably enough. They are assigned and then accessed through the ID card given by the Station Officers on the First Ring.

Fifth Ring: Merchants, dining and entertainment. There are as many options here as one might wish, from clothing to food and drink for sale, clubs and bars, music and gambling, just to name a few. All goods or services purchased on the station require your ID card to be scanned first, then payment is due in Universal Credits.

Sixth Ring: Hesperus Alpha staff level only; private rooms, equipment, and storage. Access restricted to those with staff information encrypted on their card.

Other information: There are color-coded guides as well as corresponding lights with directions on how to reach specific areas. These are spaced on the corridor walls every 50 feet. Also wandering the corridors are a number of helper androids that speak every currently known language and are available to provide assistance if needed. Transport known as "air tunnels" are used to gain access between rings and are scattered throughout each area. They are round enclosed spaces with a sliding floor that moves you up or down according to what level you wish to go.

## Technology

Technology across the universe is naturally varied. However, a large number of sectors near Earth's solar system have pooled their information and worked to improve their technology such that it is mostly the same aside from various quirks between races.

Starships in this era are mostly private craft, aside from luxury "cruise" ships available for those who simply wish to take a trip through the stars, entirely guided by a competent crew. Private craft varies from extremely small ships able to be controlled by one individual alone, to ships capable of housing the small crew of 5-10 individuals necessary to run them. The only exception aside from the cruise ships are government-owned ships staffed by at least 50-100.

Food and drink "replicators" exist but are extremely rare, seen mostly on the ships of the wealthy, as they are incredibly expensive. The vast majority still transport their food in special refrigerated containers which keep the items fresh far longer than simple canning or dehydrating. Water and most other drinks are typically stored in a powder form that reconstitutes upon opening the container. Showers work in much the same fashion, for those races which use water to clean themselves. The remaining water is used for waste disposal.

Warp travel is the major element that was shared and improved upon by the combination of efforts between sectors. It is generally used any time the distance to travel would be greater than a week, but largely depends on preference beyond that. "Lightspeed" travel can be expensive to fuel, however, and some will forego it completely because of this.

Smaller service and supply stations are scattered throughout sectors, and radio waves are used to communicate through space using a small device that can send and receive on various channels. Video transfer has not been perfected yet. Some sectors are fortunate enough to have ships dedicated to helping with fuel or repair in case of emergencies and will travel to your location if you are otherwise incapable of reaching a station.

Most ships consist of a standard engine room, flight deck, quarters, bathroom, dining and storage rooms. Some of these may be combined into each other on smaller craft.

## The Nova

Vela needed a name for her ship to land on Hesperus Alpha and could not think of one better. It was constructed outside the sectors closest to the space station and so appears to have a strange layout and a rather old-fashioned appearance. It is roughly 100 feet in length and 50 in width. The flight deck and engine room are both combined in the front, with the back half holding a small kitchen space, a room with two beds, and a tiny bathroom.

The decision to head for Hesperus Alpha was based on a need to upgrade parts of her ship, but not being familiar with the technology to do so. Upgrades are required to the fuel, engine, and communication system primarily. The station is a place where many go to find work, and after learning this she hoped to find a capable engineer willing to work for her. She had converted the last of the metal she owned into UCs and now has enough funds for many years, as well as enough to pay the one willing to assist her.


	2. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set before the rp takes place, showing a little of Vela's life before she left Aurctas.

The trading ship had just departed, leaving a cloud of dust and ice from the surface of Aurctos to hang in glittering particles against the dim light of the sun. It had also left behind resources precious to the Aurians living on this bitter planet: food, water, and material for clothing.

Vela collected her share into a large cloth sack, slinging it over her shoulder and trudging through the snow toward the cave she presently called "home." The supplies were not heavy, which was rather troubling. But it was only her share based on the amount of work she had done the past three cycles and the amount of VE she had been able to mine.

VE was the source of life for the Aurians. A blueish metal with a gentle luster and great malleability despite its strength, it was not available in much quantity throughout the solar system except here, on Aurctos, the planet the Aurians had been fortunate--or unfortunate, some might say--to land on after the escape from their dying homeworld of Aura. Many other races would pay much for VE, but the Aurians were primarily interested in trading for supplies. They had become a race obsessed with survival, many of them seeming to forget there could exist a better life elsewhere.

Vela was not one of those individuals. She had worked together with friends to try building a better life, even if most of those friends had drifted back to the work of mining, unable to take the hunger and cold which came as a result. Aurians expected those capable of working to do so or face the resulting penalty alone. It was their way, and not resented by them.

Even if she hated VE, Vela had been named for it. The metal was tied to her like a knot, in a way which she could not ever unfasten.

Entering the cave, she dropped the sack without even glancing around first. She sorted through the contents and set them all in their proper places: five containers of plain food made from grains and vegetables, a small amount of dried meat in a package and a powdered water ration, all enough to last two cycles. There were always three cycles in between trading ships, but Vela only worked enough in the VE mines to obtain two cycle's worth of supplies. She could make them last.

The last item in the sack was a luxury, one which she knew she should not have traded for, but sometimes could not help herself. It was another powdered fluid in a cup that would dissolve hours after being opened. She opened it now, peeling back the lid and setting it aside, waiting for this special drink to fully activate itself.

She looked around her living space while she waited. There was her small bed, shelves which served as a sort of pantry, an electric warmer for heat, and her ancient video screen that only seemed to work when it felt the time suited it. The room mainly contained tables laden with equipment from the past life of the Aurians, the remnants Vela and others like her had found on the rusting and long-abandoned spaceships which had brought them to this world. Most of them could not be named or identified, but the spinning gears and moving levers were comforting, making her think of that better life which could be hers.

Slowly and steadily the cup had been warming until it was now quite hot. Steam was beginning to rise from its surface in little tendrils. Vela walked it toward the chair in front of the video screen and sat down, letting the heat soothe her fingers which often ached from cold and work. She lifted the cup to her lips and smelled the spiced scent, taking the most cautious sip and marveling that something like this could exist.

After another moment she leaned forward and tapped the panel at the side of the screen. It flickered and glowed to life, deciding to work for now. The images it showed were recorded processes of work on Aurian technology, the only way she could learn and study them and the only way she could escape.

Fleeting regrets passed through her mind, thinking of Lare being with her now. Lare had been her friend, the one who had replaced her eye with a new telescopic one, the one most interested to leave Aurctos with her, the one who had almost become her lover, the one who had fallen in the mines and shattered their spinal cord, the one who had died there and left Vela hating her existence on this planet even more.

The thoughts dulled her mind, took it away from her learning, so she pushed them back. Instead, she sipped at her hot drink, watching the video screen intently and continuing to learn how to repair and fly the ships.

She would not be the one who stayed.


	3. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela meet for the first time on Hesperus Alpha!

It was… well, another day on the station. Dritz had grown to miss weather, of all things. Of course, it was nice to be at a constant temperature, but there was something equally nice about going to work in the chill of the morning, and returning in the evening sun. Of course, there were atmospherics, but it wasn’t the same.

The buyer for his ship had been a thin, handsome human with apparently more UCs than sense, which was fine by Dritz, having secured a cool ten thousand for the boat. The asking price had been seven, but the buyer offered more if Dritz promised to cover the cost of repainting the hull and re-registering it under a new name (apparently Papilio was not their cup of tea.) Overall, the Chrysalan had come away with about 8520UCs to cover his living quarters and food while he looked for permanent work.

A bright smile on his face, he stopped to one side of the dock’s walkway to check over his datawork one last time.

The worst part seemed to be the noise.

A few sounds at a time were alright, like the roar of the wind outside as she had worked on her ship, tools making small metallic noises, or the way the engine and other ship functions had sounded as it made its way through space to Hesperus Alpha. The station was where she had trouble focusing; it was an absolute cacophony to her, multiple engines roaring and voices speaking in many different languages at once. She was not used to this.

Vela paused again, glancing around but not knowing exactly what she was looking for. It had been difficult enough gaining clearance to land, as she had struggled with the correct words to say, and the effort needed to say them. She felt drained now, and knew she couldn’t force herself to speak much more for a time. Yet she was supposed to talk to someone about staying here.

She continued looking around, wondering if they would just let her stay on board her ship in its dock.

Folding his datapad, satisfied with the figures listed, Dritz glanced around the walkway to check he wouldn’t barge into anyone, as he had done so many times before.

His eye was caught by a slight… person with shocking white hair looking beyond lost in the chaos, and too tired from their travel; new to the station.

He waved a hand out as he approached, a friendly smile on his face.

“Hi there. You lost, friend? It’s a bit of a contrast after the quiet of a ship, right?” he joked, glancing around, “Are you registered with the embassies yet? You know where you need to go?”

Almost before she was aware of what was happening, Vela was approached by a stranger who, fortunately, began speaking to her in an understandable way. Though she had never met one of their kind before, she knew from the video files that this was a Chrysalan, immediately apparent from the color of the skin and antennae rising from the head.

As she had feared, she was unable to force herself to speak. She made the sign for “no:” a closed fist brought up to her chest and down again.

Dritz blinked, looking the newcomer up and down. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before the blue-skinned man beamed again, shrugging their lack of communication off as fatigue.

“Some sort of cryo-sleep, huh? I’ve seen some travelers be completely unable to walk after their journey. It’s okay, we’ll find you somewhere to rest. C’mon, embassies first. It’s boring but important.”

He gestured for them to follow, striding off towards the walkway once more.

Vela tried to gesture “no” again, to tell them it was not cryo-sleep, but the Chrysalan had already turned and begun walking away, expecting her to follow. She hesitated a moment before doing so, meaning she had to dodge a large individual covered in scales who chose that moment to lumber past.

If the Chrysalan knew where she was supposed to go first, it might at least make the situation a little easier.

“I’m Dritz, by the way,” the Chrysalan announced, turning to look behind himself at the traveler, “No problem, I’ll get your name later. I’m a ship engineer by trade, but it’s more like being a glorified mechanic, which suits me just fine.” He allowed them to walk in silence for a minute more before speaking again. “Sooooo… I guess you can’t really answer many questions… But I can tell you about the station.”

He swept his arms out wide, expertly raising one to avoid hitting a cat-like person in the face, “Welcome to Hesperus Alpha, newbie.”

He went on to explain in a fair amount of detail the structure of the station and where one would need to go for certain services, including the location of his current workshop if they needed more information, though he recommended the info terminals too.

A dozen other questions appeared in Vela’s mind as the stranger (“Dritz,” now) continued to talk. That they were an engineer was fortunate and surprising to her. Who would think the first individual to greet her would be exactly the sort she was looking for?

She listened to the rest of what they had to say about the station with interest, though her eyebrows lifted critically at being called “newbie.” It was not a familiar word, and she didn’t like the sound of it. If only she could sign rapidly and make Dritz understand what was really going on. But for now, she allowed herself to be led straight to the embassies without a word from her otherwise.

Once there, she had to pause again. Her race would not have an embassy. They were too far from this area of space, too small and unadvanced. She looked around at the crowd coming and going from the rooms, lifting both of her hands open in front of her to show she was unclear what to do in this situation.

Dritz frowned sympathetically, scrunching his nose, “Now… um…. I’m not too familiar with your race. Can you write it down for me?” He opened his datapad once again, poking a couple of things on the keys.

“Now, now, noooowww,” he was muttering as he did so, humming a little tune as he pondered the items on the screen before stepping to their side to show them the device. “Ah, here. ‘Kay, you’ve understood me well enough so far, so you must speak standard basic, but here, you can select a written language if you prefer, and tell me what species you are. Hopefully you’ll forgive my ignorance on the subject!”

Vela took the datapad uncertainly, not ever having used one. She could see the words on the screen and knew basically how they might work, and so touched the one she could read, watching the lights change into different letters. From observing Dritz she could tell you had to select each letter individually to spell words.

Remembering what she had learned through her study, she carefully typed in, “Aurian,” and handed the pad back to Dritz.

Dritz grinned, “Perfect. I… still haven’t the slightest idea about your people, though… I’m sorry, I feel pretty uneducated right now. But hey, we can at least go to the desk and see about your embassy!”

He gestured for her to follow and they made their way further down, finding the general help desk within the embassies. Dritz glanced at the datapad and then back at the clerk, addressing them cheerfully, “Hi there, my friend here is… Aurian, so we need their embassy, please and thank you.”

The clerk was what Vela thought was a human. Their hair was a brilliant shade of red, which threw her off somewhat. She had not known they could have such a distinct range.

Regardless, this person squinted at her and seemed confused. “There is no Aurian embassy here. In fact, we… well, we’ve never received a visitor from Aurctas before. I don’t even need to look at the records to know that.” Clearly, they knew their planets and races, but Vela was not surprised at this answer.

“But I assume you intend to stay here?” Vela inclined her head in the way she had seen others do, even though the gesture would be different for her. She was then handed several sheets of paperwork and managed, somehow, to carefully scratch in the correct letters to answer all the questions.

This had taken quite some time, though. Vela looked up to see Dritz was still there even after this, and as the clerk began entering her information, she wondered what reason the Chrysalan could have for staying.

“There’s no Aurian embassy?” Dritz seemed surprised by this revelation. As far as he was aware, there was an embassy for everyone, but then… He hadn’t exactly checked.

He waited patiently next to the traveler while they filled in their forms and got their lodgings, smiling all the while as he glanced around, watching others, idly admiring the clerk behind the counter, and the newcomer’s white hair.

“All done?” he asked when they finally turned back to him, looking the tiniest bit surprised. Or at least, Dritz thought they might be. “You hungry? Or maybe you might wanna check out your room? I can help you move things from your ship if you need?”

The clerk handed Vela her ID card, and she carefully placed it into the pouch kept at her side. They had explained its importance, and what it was used for, and she would want to keep it as safe as possible.

Dritz was asking her more questions, and she was not sure what to do at all. She had assumed the Chrysalan would leave once she knew where to go. Without thinking, only wanting to know the reason, she quickly signed “why?” by lifting her right hand and twisting it at the wrist, fast instead of slow, which would actually be considered rude by another Aurian.

Once again, Dritz looked at them in confusion.

“I’m not very good at this, friend, I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly. “So… If I were you, what would I be saying to a stranger. Are you not hungry, is that it? You want to be alone?” He waited for a moment to allow them to respond in their own way before seeming to think of something.

“Oh, would it be alright if I check your ID? I’d like to know your name, if only so I can call you by it while I’m here,” he asked.

Vela decided to comply with Dritz’s last request first, handing them the ID card and standing still until they had looked it over. She then made the “no” sign again, on the very edge of just trying to explain to them what was wrong, or at least trying to.

“Vela,” Dritz said with a nod. The name sounded sort of feminine to him, but one could never be too sure. “Nice to meet you, Vela.”

After handing it back, they made a sign that he recognized from before.

“Aah… You’ve motioned that way twice now… No? Is that what that means?” he asked, looking somewhere close to desperate himself. He wanted to help, but it was frustrating, not that they couldn’t speak, but that he couldn’t understand them.

Vela inclined her head again, knowing this was the way to confirm what Dritz had said. Quickly she signed: [It’s too hard to speak. I had to say too much already just getting my ship into a dock.]

Hopefully, the more complex series of gestures helped the Chrysalan understand, but just in case, she then pointed to her throat and her lips, followed by the gesture for “no.”

Nodding along, Dritz seemed to follow what they were saying fairly well, though his eyes were still wide and expectant. His antennae seemed to twitch with their movements, as though memorizing them.

“You… Can’t speak because you’re tired from speaking before. Right?” he asked. “Hey, that’s alright. Maybe I should show you where the rooms are and you can rest up?”

Again Vela lowered her head, more slowly this time. While what Dritz had said was true, she still had the feeling they did not really understand why she couldn’t talk. She made her open-handed gesture for a moment, then walked to one of the nearby information terminals to point at the First Ring, then down to where her quarters would be. At least she could get some of her things from the Nova and put them in her room, which might make her feel more comfortable.

Dritz watched, following Vela with a curious smile. As he watched them gesturing, his yellow eyes brightened with recognition.

“OH, oh… What a slug brain I am. Of course you want your things from the ship! Do you want a hand with anything? I can show you the way and help carry stuff, then leave you to get settled on lovely Hesperus Alpha!”

The way Dritz talked was sometimes wearying in itself, Vela decided. But they were not so bad in the end. They had offered to help carry items, which might mean only one trip instead of two or three. For the moment, she was too tired to want to do it alone.

She nodded, walking back to one of the tubes which would take them to the First Ring again. Not feeling like trying to explain through her gestures for the moment, she remained still and let Dritz talk about whatever they wanted.

The crowd of bodies had thinned out when they arrived. Vela led Dritz to the dock where her ship waited, then pointed toward it briefly. They seemed to be staring at the ship, so she waited a moment. In a way she could understand, given how its shape was nothing like any of the others present, not even in terms of the color of the metal. It had more of a patchwork, old-fashioned appearance than anything.

Dritz rambled happily, seeming content enough to tell them about the station, how long he’d been there (a few weeks, with varying successes in his work), where was good for food, his own journey, and his ship. For their part, Vela seemed fine to listen.

Upon seeing their ship, however, it seemed as though the Chrysalan had finally run out of things to say, other than, “Your ship is a work of art, Vela…”

He seemed to contemplate the framework, grinning to himself and muttering various complimentary things, such as 'beautiful’, 'FANtastic’ and 'look at that“.

The response to Vela’s ship did give her pause. The officer who had allowed her to dock had not seemed nearly as appreciative of it, flat out wondering how she had managed to get so far through space using it. But Dritz seemed impressed, so maybe the ship was not so bad as she initially feared.

She did not invite the Chrysalan inside, but entered alone to retrieve her one bag of personal items and to stuff some of her equipment into two other bags. She did not technically need some of these old devices from her planet, but it was comforting to have them near, as she had spent long weeks studying each one, and they held good enough memories.

Making sure the bags were sealed, she dragged them out to where Dritz waited. She could barely lift all three at once and immediately set them on the floor, gesturing for them to take at least one with the heavier equipment.

Far from being offended or upset, Dritz was delighted to be left to examine their ship. The tech was… ancient. He’d only ever read about even a small handful of the parts, so seeing something so old that was clearly still capable of space flight was like magic to him. It looked patchwork, as though someone had found all the parts separately and brought them together.

Once Vela reappeared, laden with bags, he beamed at them, rushing up to grab the two larger ones, hoisting them onto his shoulders as though they were nothing.

"Ready? Your ship really is something else. How old is that tech? It’s… incredible. You should be proud of it, it’s got more personality than these sleek models. None of that on Chrysala, I can tell you,” he started rambling cheerfully, walking off ahead and assuming they would follow.

Vela could not answer any of Dritz’s questions, but her posture changed slightly to reflect her satisfaction over what they had said about the ship. Perhaps if they met again, she might be able to give a response, but…

She followed the Chrysalan as they headed to the level of the guest quarters, glad they were also able to carry the heaviest bags with ease. The ID card said her room was 336A, so she took the lead until they had found it along the row of doors. She gestured for the bags to be placed by the door, uncertain about inviting a stranger in, even if they had been nothing but friendly and helpful so far.

An awkward moment later and she realized she did not know how to thank them. The only thing she could do was make the gesture of thanks, both hands together, and then sign: [I am not sure I could have done this without you.]

Dritz was more than happy to chit chat his way through the sectors with Vela, even if they were not able to answer.

When they reached the rooms, he obediently placed the bags by the door, his face only just beginning to flush purple with the effort of carrying them.

“Welp. It was nice to meet you. It’s a big station, so you’ll make friends easily, but-,” with something of a flourish, he whipped out a small card from his pocket, and a tiny, chewed pencil, scrawling on the card in heavy, bold script, his antennae rippling gently with concentration, “I’m in 420G, and I’m usually 'home’, so if you need anything and can’t find the station sec, gimme a knock.”

He handed them the card and grinned, taking a step back. The card itself was yellow, with a magnetic strip for insertion into data devices, but it had his name and profession indented in it in a few different common languages, with his penciled room number.

“Rest well, Vela,” he chirped, before turning and strolling away.

Vela watched Dritz walk away, clutching the card they had given in one hand. She looked at it, able to read at least some of it, and again glad she had taken the extra time to learn a few languages before leaving her planet.

After another moment she placed the card in her pouch, withdrawing her ID card instead and running it through the reader by the door. The soft click of the door unlocking was a welcoming sound, and she pushed it open and dragged all of her bags into the room.

It was spacious enough for one person, at least. Vela had never really needed that much space to begin with. She decided to put off unpacking and look around the room, which contained a bed, a table and chair, a video screen on the wall, and two partitioned areas which served as a furnished kitchen and bathroom, respectively. Everything was simple and just enough to get by on, which was all she needed. It would be better to save her credits rather than renting a double room.

She sat down on the bed, thinking to herself. Tomorrow she could go back to the First Ring, see if anyone was looking for work as an engineer. But Dritz had been an engineer… or as they had said, “a glorified mechanic.”

It puzzled her why she had not asked them, but she decided to try forgetting it for now. The room was completely silent, and eventually, she lay down and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Dritz made his way back to his own room. After all, he hadn’t planned to do much that day aside from selling the Papilio (now the Moonlight Sonata), securing the funds from her sale and looking for more work, and he’d done it all fairly quickly.

He made his way back via a store, picking up some extra prepackaged meals while he had the disposable income. As he unlocked his door with his ID card, his thoughts kept turning to Vela, and how they might be settling into their room. Perhaps if he were to bump into them again they might be rested enough to speak more.

Kicking off his boots and shrugging off his jacket and shirt, Dritz flopped onto the messy bed, getting out his datapad and opening the exonet to look up Aurians in the hopes of learning something about the mysterious newcomer…


	4. Language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela finds her mechanic.

The next “morning” (as indicated by the station’s timekeeping at least), Vela was more than ready to leave her room and look around some more.

She had unpacked her equipment and left it cluttering the table. The dull gleam of the familiar gold-colored machines was comforting. She dressed as usual in loose but warm clothing with a dark wrap draped around her shoulders, thinking it might be as cold as mornings usually were, before she realized she was on a climate-controlled station.

Despite remembering, she was comfortable in these clothes and had no desire to change them, nor did she have anything lighter to wear, anyway. She took little with her other than her ID card, making sure the door locked behind her even though it was automatic.

Even if she had wanted to leave her planet, she still felt something similar to homesickness. She wandered down the corridor to its end first, where an enormous window covered the wall and showed the depths of space, stars hanging like tiny points of light drilled into the blackness. She wondered if the others were carrying on just the same without her. But she knew they were.

Without realizing, Dritz had stayed up late trying to find any trace of Aurian information, and woke up in the same position he had been in the previous night, except with his datapad having been dropped on the floor and the bedclothes awkwardly tangled around his legs.

After dressing and eating a quick breakfast, he decided to leave and continue his search for work. The brief jobs were all well and good, but he was beginning to yearn for projects and even deadlines.

The corridors were not empty, but quieter than usual, meaning he was either up early or too late.

As he had planned, he walked out via Vela’s room, just in case he bumped into them. He hated to think of them being lost and confused, remembering his own first day on the station. He had managed to accidentally insult the communications officer who helped him land, and bumped into a feline woman, causing her to drop the lunch she had been carrying (he’d insisted on buying her another).

As he rounded the corner, he spotted them, looking out into space. Beaming at his luck, he waved, “It’s a great view, huh?”

The voice which cut into her thoughts caused Vela to recoil briefly, but only because she was unused to such a thing happening. Seeing it was Dritz again, she relaxed, wondering if it was mere coincidence.

Without thinking too much about it, she gave the nod that others were accustomed to seeing. Then she signed: [Yes. It’s beautiful but I’m not used to seeing it up close yet.]

Not thinking to hide his confusion, Dritz squinted at them, seeming concerned.

“Still not found your voice again, hm? If you’re still fatigued tomorrow, you should visit the medics, just to make sure you’re not unwell,” he said, his voice softer than before. “You look well, though… Much brighter than yesterday.”

He glanced out into space, grinning. “Plans for the day?”

Vela turned to face Dritz properly, giving them a frown. Why did they still think she was just fatigued? Their concern was touching, but at the same time…

She made the gesture for “no” again. [I am looking for someone to work for me, to help with upgrading my ship], she signed. [I need an engineer with good skill.] After this she waited for any sign of recognition from the Chrysalan.

The signs Vela made were fast, practiced, almost like they regularly communicated that way…

“Your ship? When you did this-” he roughly copied their movements, “- it sort of looks like flying, or piloting. Are you talking about your ship? I tell you what, maybe I could… Accompany you today, if that’s alright? I can help if you need anything… Lifted, maybe?” he chuckled. The sound was unlike his voice when he was speaking Basic, more evident of his species.

“I, uh, I don’t see many people on the station really, despite how populated it is,” he said conversationally, “So I’m glad I bumped into you again.”

Vela nodded. At least they had seemed to grasp a little of what she was saying this time. She made the gesture for “ship” and nodded again. If they wanted to go along with her, it might be alright for a time, until she decided whether she could ask them for what she really needed.

One thing Dritz had said puzzled her, though. [How can you not see many people?] she signed, unable to help her curiosity while knowing they might not understand.

Vela looked confused, and Dritz’s blue skin seemed to flush a little bit purple. He didn’t understand what they had gestured, but felt slightly self-conscious.

“It, uh… gets a bit lonely sometimes. I’m used to knowing a lot of folk, you know?” He quickly brushed off his embarrassment, giving them his goofy grin once more.

“Have you eaten yet?” he asked suddenly, looking them somewhat sympathetically. They seemed incredibly slim (from what he could tell, under all of those layers), and not in the same way other Chrysalans were, which were his only point of comparison.

While still not fully understanding what Dritz meant, Vela nodded anyway. She supposed that Chrysalans were a more social race than Aurians. Maybe they had not met the right people yet.

She did have to sign “no” in regards to eating. It was not something she had even needed to contemplate so far since arriving. Her kind never ate too much, but whether that was only due to the habit of not always having food available, and needing to always set aside a portion just in case of emergency, she wasn’t sure.

It might be better to not look for a potential engineer on an empty stomach, at least. Vela walked back until she saw another info terminal, pointing at the Fifth Ring before making the gesture which meant she was unsure about what to do. She could maybe find a decent place with food on her own, but at the same time, she wasn’t totally convinced she would be successful.

Dritz watched them with a small smile, though he was still somewhat bewildered that they were not speaking. This time, he couldn’t help but admire their cool, graceful manner.

“So you know where you’re going, at least,” he said brightly. “Would you like company? There’s a place that does great portions for not many UCs at all, and they do lots of different specialties, so they might do… Aurian food?” He shrugged in an exaggerated way. Did their race have a particular cuisine? Chrysalan food tended to feature very little meat or starch, perhaps Aurian food was spicy, or starchy?

Vela hesitated, but ultimately nodded. It would be better to have assistance in picking out something to eat. Dritz would not understand it yet, but Aurians were accustomed to eating anything they could get ahold of which was edible. Given the scarcity on their planet, this meant relying on the frozen and dried foods one could obtain from trading ships.

She started toward the lift that would take them to the Fifth Ring, but then had to let Dritz take the lead. This level seemed the busiest of all, with everyone jostling their way in a dozen different directions at once. Vela stayed close behind Dritz, grabbing the edge of their jacket automatically whenever it seemed they might be separated by the crowd.

At last, they entered a room that sold food; Vela did not know the word for it in Basic. The smell inside was appetizing, but looking at the large screen of dishes in bright neon letters did not help her to make up her mind.

She faced Dritz then, pointing at them, then back at the screen, then at herself. [Tell me what you would eat. I will choose that], she signed.

The Fifth Ring was even busier than usual, but Dritz led the two of them through the throng of bodies with confidence, reaching a hand behind him when he felt their hand grasp his jacket, touching their arm in a gesture he hoped might comforting if needed.

“Not far now, Vela,” he chirped over his shoulder.

Once they had found themselves in one of the less intensely crowded eateries, he looked expectantly at them, watching their gestures.

“You, um, you want me to pick something for you?” he beamed, feeling strangely touched they would ask. He nodded and turned to the server, engaging them in bright chitchat and ordering two (because the idea of another breakfast was actually very appealing) bowls of a light, filling porridge that he knew to be easy on the credits, and easy on a long-empty stomach. Without really thinking, he paid for both, accepting the disposable pots and handing one to Vela.

“This is plain, but you can add stuff from the counter over there if you want,” he said, indicating a small selection of fruit and vegetable pastes, flavored oils, and spices.

Vela accepted the food Dritz had given her, never being one to turn away from anything offered to eat, whether she might like it or not. She gave a glance at the counter they indicated but saw no reason to add anything to what most likely was perfectly fine on its own.

There were tables scattered around the room, as well as some chairs lined against the walls. The pot could be held in one hand to eat, so Vela chose a chair to sit down in before picking up her spoon and tasting the contents. She had no idea what to call whatever it was, but it tasted fine to her. Aurians were not in the habit of using spices or additional flavors, which could be expensive.

She ate steadily for several minutes, not offering any conversation to Dritz, but finally thought of something. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a few loose credits and carefully set them on the Chrysalan’s leg where they sat next to her. They shouldn’t have to pay for her food.

The Chrysalan followed, happy with wherever they chose to sit, and ate slowly, turning the spoon over in his mouth and watching the other patrons come and go. Dritz evidently liked to talk through meals as well, even if it was slow and broken up while he finished his mouthful.

He stopped when he spotted Vela shuffling for something and setting the UCs on his leg. It seemed to take him a moment to even realize why he was receiving them, until he beamed and nodded.

“Aw, you didn’t need to pay me back. I didn’t really think about it! But thanks, I appreciate it,” he said, leaving the chips on his leg until he had finished his food, setting the pot to one side and pocketing them.

“I hope you like it. It’ll keep you going all day, so it’s really good if you’ve got a lot of work ahead,” he added, brushing his hands, first together and then down his front, more a habit than anything. It never used to be a concern for his people to look especially neat unless it was a special occasion, but he’d developed the habit nonetheless.

Vela could only nod to express her satisfaction over the food. She did feel comfortably full upon finishing, and was glad when Dritz accepted the credits without trying to give them back. It would have only left her feeling indebted if they had, and she had never cared for that feeling.

After this, she was able to lead the way back up to the First Ring rather than relying on anyone to show her. She did pause momentarily, however, concerned about whatever Dritz might have planned for their day rather than accompanying her.

[Are you sure you want to come with me?] she signed before they had gotten very far into the dock area. [You had something else to do today, right?]

Dritz hadn’t thought yet about when Vela might wish to be alone, following their lead back to the First Ring docks with an impressed little smile. It had taken him three days to properly make his way around without consulting the terminals, but they had already worked it out.

He watched as they gesticulated at him once again, beginning to suspect that they were either mute, or there was something more to them that he had yet to learn.

“Hm… You’re asking me something,” he pointed out, “You raise your eyebrows a little when you seem to be asking. Do I want to go with you? Well, sure, if you’re okay to have me. Maybe I can help in some way? I mean, I’ve not got a steady job, and the workshop I’m temping with haven’t gotten in contact this morning, so… if you need a hand, I can come.” He smiled once again, hopefully, “Have I got you right?”

It seemed as though Dritz was understanding, or at least a little more. Vela nodded and touched their arm, then touched her chest in a gesture meant to be an invitation to follow along. She then turned and began walking around the dock area, closely inspecting those working there and listening to what some of them were talking about

Her hesitation to approach anyone was largely due to her worry that they would not be able to understand her. And of course they wouldn’t, no one outside Aurctos could really use the Aurian language. It would take her so long to explain, and she would have an incredibly difficult time. This had been her only real worry upon leaving the planet; not being able to find anyone willing to learn how to understand her.

Finally, she turned back to Dritz, the corners of her mouth drawing down as she gestured toward the datapad they still carried around their waist. The Chrysalan was an engineer looking for work, and they were already proving patient with not being able to understand her. She would ask them first through typing on the pad, rather than risk trying anyone else.

Of course, Dritz could do little more than grin and follow them, finding the gentle touch of his arm quite pleasant and inviting. However, their sudden turn took him aback and there was a brief moment where he didn’t see what it was they wanted.

“Hm? Oh, my datapad? Here,” he said cheerily, taking it and offering it to them.

Vela accepted the datapad, remembering just what to do as she opened it and hit some of the keys. Then she sat down on the floor near one of the ships, completely at ease as she slowly and carefully poked away at the pad until it said exactly what she wanted it to.

It took a good length of time, but at last she handed it back to Dritz with a neutral expression.

[I apologize for taking so long to do this. I am an Aurian like I told you. We no longer have a spoken language. I can speak, but it’s hard to do and so I avoid it. Maybe someday I will get better. But for now, I am looking for help. I need an engineer to help upgrade my ship. Are you interested? Even though you know I can’t speak much now.]

Dritz’s face bloomed with realization as he read the datapad. Their race didn’t have a spoken language?! It all made sense.

“That’s incredible! You all make signs at each other all the time?” he asked, obviously in awe. “But anyway, that’s not the point, Dritz, c'mon… as for the ship, I’d be so happy to do the upgrades! Are you kidding? I’d do it for free just to get my hands on ‘er,” he said excitedly. “I’m very interested!” He thrust a hand out at them, anticipating a handshake if they agreed.

With a little motion of relief, Vela nodded her agreement, not knowing what Dritz wanted but tentatively reaching out to touch their hand anyway. [Not for free], she signed next. [I must pay you. But you also have to learn some of my language.]

To emphasize her point, she indicated the datapad and made the sign for it, one which had only recently made its way into the Aurian language. Then she pointed at Dritz to hopefully show he would have to learn.

Dritz shook their hand with a wide beam, “We have a deal then! I usually charge fifty an hour depending on the length of the work, but we’ll keep it free until the completion, okay?”

He frowned as he tried to understand what it was they were meaning, watching them closely. “We need to communicate properly. Um… You want me to learn some signs?” he asked. He repeated the gesture for the datapad, “This means datapad?”

Quickly Vela nodded, coming as close to a smile as she had ever done. One more time she repeated the “datapad” gesture, before pretending to tap the keys on it and signing the word “type.” She carried on for a little while, sharing a few common words and trying to be sure Dritz understood them before realizing they couldn’t do this all day.

She again touched the Chrysalan’s arm and then her chest to ask if they would follow. Then she pointed in the direction of her ship and gave them a curious glance. [Would you like to go see it? Just in case you might have trouble with it.] Hopefully this would not be the case, as Dritz would surely know what they were doing.

Dritz eagerly copied Vela, carefully gesturing with them and repeating the motions.

“You have a great smile,” he said suddenly, “It’s nice to finally see!” Touching his arm, then their chest seemed to mean to accompany them, and when they signaled to their ship, he grinned, “Oh heck yeah, I’ve been dying to get on that ship since I first saw it! I may need to ask you-…” He stopped and slowly, haltingly, and with twitching antennae, signed; [Ship.] “Uh… I might need to ask about it. To make sure I know about the workings. It’ll be a good chance to learn more.” He signed the word 'ship’ again, and then yes’.

They did well enough with the motions, but Vela could tell Dritz would need a bit more practice. That was understandable, for a race who was so much more vocal. Perhaps they would catch on sooner than she thought, or at least she hoped so.

[Yes], she signed back before turning and heading toward the dock which held her ship. It was still an unusual feeling in many ways, having a ship which was “hers,” able to fly the stars and take her almost anywhere she wished to go. They approached it and Vela opened the hatch, still a manual entrance despite how she had seen others that were automatic.

The ship was dark and quiet inside, but Vela was quick to power it on even in the dark, revealing they were in the combination of flight deck and engine room. Old but functional buttons and screens came to life along with the loud hum of the engine, one of the things she hoped to improve upon with Dritz’s help. To her understanding, more advanced engines were much quieter.

She gestured around, signing the words for “engine” and “flight deck” among others, but mostly waiting to see the Chrysalan’s immediate reaction to the interior.

After all but skipping into the ship with delight, Dritz copied Vela’s signs for the different areas with more ease this time, saying them aloud as he did so.

There was something of a change in the Chrysalan, his expression more serious and focused as he looked around.

“Your engine is struggling, but I think you knew that. Did you build her yourself? Once I learn some more of your language, you need to tell me how she was made,” he said, walking over to the engine area. He recognized so much different tech, all older than he’d ever seen in working order before. His fingers itched to get inside and look around, to get such a wonderful ship running at its very best.

“Heh, I’m going to regret asking, given our speech barrier here, but what’s she called?” he asked over his shoulder, one hand splayed against the main engine block.

Vela had noticed the change in Dritz upon entering the ship and being near the engine. It gave her a greater sense of relief to know they would be taking the job seriously, considering the way they sometimes acted, though it wasn’t a bad thing.

She nodded, making a gesture to indicate building, though there was more to it that would need to be explained.

Vela paused for a moment then, not having a sign for the name of the ship. She used Dritz’s datapad again to type “Nova” and handed it back, but there was another word concerning her.

“She…?” The word would barely come out, and Vela could not make it sound quite like Dritz had said it. There was no gesture for this word, but they had used it to refer to the ship.

“Nice to meet you, Nova. We’re going to be quite intimate, but I’m very caring, I promise,” he said to the engine, patting it lightly and grinning.

He caught something on the edge of hearing as he turned back to Vela. Were they… Did they speak!? Did they just question a feminine gender pronoun commonly used for a ship (he had no idea why ships tended to be feminine to him, considering the Papilio was most definitely masculine)?

“Do you… Not have…?” he asked, though he wasn’t entirely sure where to go with the question. He cleared his throat, his goofy grin back in place as though he was trying very much not to laugh. “Um, well… 'she’ is the pronoun applied to the feminine. Of course, a ship doesn’t have a gender, but she… She feels feminine, don’t you think?”

Vela narrowed her eye a little, thinking Dritz looked rather entertained at her curiosity. Was this some Chrysalan custom? What was “gender?” What was “feminine?”

She shook her head to indicate she didn’t understand, then stood fixed in place and watching them intently, with some suspicion. Would they be doing something strange to her ship if she allowed them to work on it…?

Vela’s remaining eye narrowed at him and Dritz looked panicked, waving both hands.

“No, no, I mean no offense. I was only laughing because it’s really… It’s difficult to explain,” he babbled. “Um. Most humanoid races have different… Um, reproductive organs, and are assigned a sex, male or female, at birth. 'She’ and 'her’ are how you might refer to someone assigned female, d'you see? I, well, I’m male, so I’m 'he’? As for Nova, I can’t really explain why I would refer to her as 'she’.”

Vela’s head tilted slowly as she listened to Dritz explain. She knew about reproduction, and also that all Aurians were the same aside from differences in height and facial features. Of course, other races were different. Now she remembered the pictures she had seen in her studies, the way some species had marked differences well beyond the simples ones the Aurians had. That would explain it, although it was still a foreign concept to her.

Now she had to wonder what Dritz would call her if she did not have a “gender.” It would not be so bad to be called “she” like her ship, and she did not feel comparable enough to Dritz to be called “he.” “She” even sounded nicer.

She made sure Dritz was watching as she very cautiously said “she” again and pointed to herself.

Dritz watched Vela processing the information. They seemed to understand what he had said, and his eyes lit up when they addressed themselves as 'she’.

“I see,” he said brightly, “I did wonder.”

He glanced around the ship, idly signing the word to himself before thinking of something and turning back to her, “Is there a sign for your name? I can’t wait to learn more of your language.”

Even while not completely feeling like it, Vela lifted one hand to make the gesture for her name, her fingers curving around while pressed together and forming a sort of “C” shape. This gesture was part of another word, one which she was not fond of remembering. Most name gestures only used one hand, but there would be no gesture for any name not native to the Aurians.

She next indicated that they–no, he–should open the main engine panels and take a look at the machinery inside before doing anything else. Dritz might be eager to learn her sign language, but this all could prove futile if he wasn’t able to make sense of her engine at the very least.

“Oh, oh… Right, sorry, I got distracted,” Dritz chuckled, turning back to the engine and looking it over for a long time before patting his jacket, looking for something. After a second he produced a very old, worn manual multitool, and started opening the engine casing, removing the panels and leaning right inside.

“Considering the age,” he shouted over the noise, “Your heat syncs are in great working order… I think the noise is being caused by the waste fuel exhaust.”

Vela watched closely as Dritz inspected the engine. He seemed to know what he was doing and knew the various parts, which made her nod in satisfaction. [Waste fuel exhaust], she signed. [That makes sense.]

Later she would have to find a way to tell him how the rest of the engine needed upgrading, but for the moment she walked over to one of the panels standing against the far wall of the ship. The setup of the communications panel would be familiar to anyone who had used one before, but the technology was lacking and she could not make it work.

She pointed at it and gave Dritz a curious look, both eyebrows raised high. [Communications panel], she signed just in case.

Dritz wriggled out of the depths of the engine, ruffling his wispy hair and wiping his hands on his front as he stood.

“The comms? You have problems with the comms? Hm…” he plopped down in the seat by the station and started prodding at seemingly random buttons. “Bah. This might take me a bit longer, but it’s doable.”

Vela nodded, satisfied again. It did not matter how long it took, as long as the job was done. There was much to do aboard the ship, and even thinking that, she did wonder what sort of time frame they might be looking at.

[How long?] she signed, gesturing at the engine and communications system as a whole. [I can try to help if possible.] She wrote this much out on the datapad, adding a gesture to say there was no real hurry.

It took Dritz a few seconds to work out what she (still a strange thing to apply to Vela, but one that he felt would come to him quickly) was telling him. What did his usual clients want to know? It wasn’t price, so it had to be time.

“The engine… It’ll be sourcing the parts that takes the time, so… Three or four days. Maybe even two if I can find the parts readily! Comms… Aren’t my strong point, so I’ll be referring to some manuals regularly, but an extra day or two on top of that? No longer than a week, at most. I can source the things I need from a workshop, and get right on it.”

After a moment, he added, “Ah, and I’ll get the parts. My labor will be cheaper than the engine bits.” He gave her a wink, completely forgetting the gesture might not mean a thing to her.

Vela thought the time frame sounded reasonable. She had not considered how long the repairs and upgrading might take, beyond imagining it would be a long time. A week, station time… that was fast to her.

She made the motion for Dritz to follow, then started leading him through the rest of the ship and showing him everything from the beds to the eating area, giving the sign for each word so that he could start learning more. She did pause a moment and regard the wall covering, which was discolored in many places and could do with replacing. Dritz might know who to speak to in order to take care of that.

Following obediently, Dritz made note of the layout of the ship, his antennae twitching as he got his bearings each time. He signed the words immediately after Vela, copying her as best he could. She was patient with him, giving him time to repeat the gestures a couple of times before moving on.

“So you piloted and navigated here yourself? You had no other crew to help?” he asked, thumbing towards one of the bunks.

Vela studied the wall a moment longer, realizing what Dritz was talking about without looking. Then she nodded, slowly, feeling like talking about it a little even if he could not fully understand her.

[It was hard sometimes,] she signed. [But yes, I did all of it myself. It helps that I don’t need much sleep. I could have used one or two other crewmates.] The truth was that at times she had to run between stations to take care of everything, but it had not been impossible. She had learned the Nova was built for a crew of at least two or three.

After this, she gave Dritz a curious look and a “what next?” gesture, wondering if he would be off to look for the parts right away.

The Chrysalan gathered from Vela’s gestures that she hadn’t had a crew to assist her in piloting the Nova.

“Impressive,” Dritz said delightedly. “Hopefully you’ll be able to gather a small crew once we’ve sorted out the improvements to the ship.”

He shrugged off his jacket and tucked it partway into his belt, leaving it trailing down the back of his leg.

“I should get right onto sourcing your parts,” he said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and grinning. “I’ll come back later, unless you wanna come with me?”

Taking a few moments to debate the idea, Vela ultimately gestured that she would go with Dritz. After all, she did need more experience dealing with others she was not accustomed to, and it would be a valuable way to learn more about modern technology and the words related to it.

In fact, it was her every intention to watch Dritz perform the upgrades and repair every step of the way if possible. It was not that she didn’t trust him, surprisingly. She thought he seemed trustworthy already, but the day would come when he would not be around, and she had to learn as much as she could before then.

Trailing after the Chrysalan as they left the ship, Vela naturally kept these thoughts to herself for the time being.


	5. Takeoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In need of an unavailable ship component, Dritz and Vela take the Nova to the next station.

“What do you mean, you don’t have any Mayflux combustion chambers?” Dritz whined, slumping over the workshop desk. “They’re all over the station! You can’t move for them.”

“I dunno what to tell you, feelers,” the bestial mechanic grunted, wiping her grubby claws. “Most of our stock was bought by folk off-station, apparently there’s some sort of race going on in the Morroh System, so we have no chambers for you.”

The Chrysalan groaned loudly, resting his head against the desk before looking up pleadingly, with a sweet little smile, “You see, I have a client who I have already quoted a week for the work to her ship.”

“‘Her’, huh? Maybe you should have thought with your brain. I’m sure even you bugs have them,” the beast woman smirked.

“Alright, so how long until you get more?” Dritz sighed, looking quite desperate, his cheeks flushing lightly purple.

“At least a couple of weeks,” she shrugged. “You could go elsewhere though if your ship is space-faring.”

Dritz thanked her before whimpering in frustration as he made his way over to Vela.

“Um… Are you up for a little trip to the next station?” The decidedly sheepish Chrysalan asked, smiling awkwardly.

Vela had heard little of the exchange between Dritz and the mechanic, but from what she could tell, it had not gone as well as it might.

[Why?] she signed, a gesture which he had been pretty quick to pick up on, given how frequently she had to use it. [Is something wrong? I thought everything was easy to find.] Already she tended to continue to “speak” even if he didn’t know all the signs, in the hope he might start picking up on some of it faster.

“Well… Um, that is what I thought, but apparently there’s some race or another and their stock was bought out, so there’s no combination chambers. I can get everything else, but the Nova won’t run at optimal efficiency without a new one,” Dritz explained, rocking lightly on his heels. “So I could get some transport to the next station and pick one up, or we could take the Nova there?”

Contemplating, Vela frowned. More travel was unexpected, to say the least. The Nova would make it, but the trip would not be as smooth as if they took a transport. Yet a transport would likely take more time in the long run, since they would have to keep to its schedule.

At last, she pointed in the direction of the Nova and nodded. [We can take it.] Another thought occurred to her, and she turned back to Dritz to point at him, then make the sign for “ship” in a questioning way. She had yet to ask if he had a ship of his own yet, simply imagining he did.

Dritz repeated the gesture to her, growing confident with the signage for ‘ship’.

“Oh? I did actually have a small ship, but I sold him. The Papilio,” he said, puffing his chest proudly. “It was a great little ship. Thing is, I didn’t have a lot of UCs for staying here, so it was better to just sell the ship in case I couldn’t find work. But… did you say it was okay to travel in the Nova? Is there enough fuel and previsions for further travel? Are you recovered enough for that?” He regarded her curiously, trying to determine if she looked well-rested enough to travel.

Vela made a sign indicating a sadness for the loss of something, not being able to imagine owning such a precious commodity as a good working ship and then needing to sell it. This further meant that the Nova was their only option if they wanted to travel faster than waiting for a transport.

She made the gesture for “datapad” and waited until Dritz handed it to her again. Carefully she tapped in the words, “Yes, we can use it. I am fine. But we will need some fuel, and food and drink probably. I don’t know how long it takes to get there.” She pointed out some of the words and made the gestures for him before handing the pad back.

Signing “fuel” again, she pointed to herself to indicate she would be able to handle that part if he wanted to look for what else they might need.

Dritz couldn’t help but smile, touched that Vela might be sad for the Papilio (it was the first sign he had understood immediately). He shrugged, “Pap was a good little ship, but now he’s someone else’s good little ship.”

Once again he copied the few signs she offered him and, with his antennae sticking almost straight up, he pointed to himself and slowly signed [food, drink], before grinning from ear to ear.

“We will need enough fuel for a three-day journey either way,” he said, doing some rough calculations in his head. “It’ll take us three to get there, but only maybe a day and a half to get back if I install the combustion chamber as soon as we have it.”

Vela made a mental note of this, nodding at Dritz as he headed off to get them some supplies after promising to meet her back at the Nova later.

She wound her way slowly through the crowds around the docks, working toward the main fuel tanks which supplied the station. The first attendant she saw was a short individual who looked human but had distinctly reptilian skin. “I can help you?” he asked in Basic, clearly not quite as used to the language as others.

Vela nodded and pointed at the fuel tanks, then back in the direction of her ship. “Can’t talk? Okay, easy. All anyone wants is fuel here. I get a machine for you.” He walked off with a strange, lumbering gait and eventually returned riding a small machine bearing a tank of fuel and attachments for transferring it into ships.

Vela led the way back to the Nova and the reptilian man seemed both impressed and confused by it. “Old ship. Strange but good. Fuel goes where?” She showed him how the fuel compartment opened near the back of the ship and he began to siphon it in for her while idly chatting in his broken Basic. After this she offered him a gesture of thanks and counted out the credits she owed him along with some extra for his service, watching him drive the machine away as she settled down outside the Nova to wait for Dritz.

Dritz wasted little time, going straight to his favorite stores to get enough dried food to last the two of them at least a week; packets of noodles and some loose powders that would rehydrate to become vegetables, along with a large collapsible tank for them to store some water.

Upon returning to the Nova, he spotted Vela sitting by the ship and grinned, hefting the bag and the container triumphantly, “I’m ready! Are we sorted with fuel?”

Taking a moment to look over Dritz’s purchases, Vela nodded. [We have enough fuel for a long distance], she signed before attempting to give him half the credits back from his purchases.

She indicated next they would need to collect anything necessary for a trip from their rooms, again promising to return to the Nova after they had done this, and once they had put the food supplies and water onboard.

Vela had been organized in a way that made Dritz feel as though they were part of a crew together already, with her knowing what they’d need to collect almost right away, and with her completing each stage far quicker than he.

It took him a while longer to collect his huge toolkit (the multitool just would not do on its own), some clean clothes, and a few choice personal items from his room, but he was still bounding back towards the Nova within the hour, his tool bag and a knapsack slung over his shoulder.

Somehow, Vela was waiting again, calmly and quietly, as though she hadn’t even moved.

“You’re the fastest person I’ve ever met, I swear,” Dritz chortled as he approached.

Some of the items Vela would need had been kept on her ship, such as more of her clothing, and she was used to owning little. The few more personal items she might require were easily bought at the nearby shops with a little browsing, and she was back and waiting for Dritz with plenty of time to spare.

She smiled faintly again, offering no comment but leading him to the bunk area and showing him where he could put his things. As they did this, she continued to sign key words and watched him attempt to follow along and learn them, something which felt touching to her without really knowing why.

All that was left was to depart. Vela made further checks to all the ship systems while Dritz went to clear them for undocking. Based on all she had studied, everything seemed in order for what it was. She found herself looking forward to learning about the newer tech, however.

As Dritz returned, she pointed at the navigation console and then at the engines, wondering which he would prefer to operate. It seemed he would choose engines, but she had to be sure.

The Chrysalan had been as thankful as if Vela had offered him a place in her home, neatly tidying his things away in one of the fixed footlockers in the bunk room before managing to recall enough signage to say “thanks”, and dashing out to the docking bay to signal for takeoff and acquire the clearance they would need.

With everything secure, and the bay reserved for their return, he rejoined Vela on the flight deck.

“Engines are my specialty,” he assured her with another wink. “But you need me elsewhere, and you gimme a call. In fact…” he unclipped his datapad from his belt and offered it out, “I want you to have this; I can set it up to ease communication if we need it. Rather than you shouting me, I can rig an alarm when you want me.”

Vela took the datapad with a nod and gesture of thanks, listening to the explanation of how to use it. This would be much more convenient than trying to use her voice to reach Dritz if needed, especially as the noise from the engine was still too loud until the parts were replaced.

They separated for the time being, though the space between the engine area and navigation panel was not too distant and remained within sight. Vela sat at the console, waiting for Dritz to power the engines on before she began punching in the complicated series of buttons she had memorized to program the flight system for takeoff.

The tech may have been old and unusual to him, but it operated as smoothly as any brand new engine, and he was able to throw the correct switches, starting the power almost seamlessly (aside from a hiccup with the heat syncs that was, as he admitted loudly, his bad), allowing Vela to initiate the take off.

The engines running now, Vela was able to finish inputting the sequence and engaged the manual controls. She had practiced this many times on Aurctas, so many that she felt she could practically do it in her sleep.

Carefully she manipulated the multiple levers and sticks and brought up the landing gear, focusing hard, even if her mind could not help but wonder if it would be a simpler process with newer equipment. The Nova lurched upward, and once they had cleared the dock’s overhead doors and were hanging in space above the station, Vela looked over at Dritz to see what he thought, and if they were ready to proceed.

“Perfect take off, cap'n,” Dritz beamed. The Chrysalan smiled an awful lot, but there was something especially bright and happy in this one. He rifled in his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper, “If you can navigate toooo… 15'397ly, 163° from here, I’ll get us on our way.”

Dritz loved space travel, but he had always loved the dynamic of being part of a small crew, and being with Vela was bringing a great deal more to the experience of embarking on a new journey.

Vela’s only response to this was to nod. She was not particularly proud or given to being so in general, though the same held true for all Aurian.

She punched in the coordinates with care, feeling the ship begin to rotate about until it was pointed in the proper direction. Then she waited until Dritz had engaged the engines and set them moving through space, at last feeling a rush of satisfaction. It turned out she loved space travel, too.


	6. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela learn a little bit more about each other.

Dritz set the engines for deep space travel and leaped up, beaming.

“Yes! I reckon we make a good team,” he announced, striding up to the control panel where she was situated and grasping her shoulder affectionately. “So. We have a couple of days… Will you teach me some more signs?”

Vela looked up again, a little concerned as to why Dritz would be touching her shoulder, but it did not seem to be an urgent reason. Touch always meant something specific to her race, and she wondered how it might differ with a Chrysalan. She hoped to find out someday when they were able to communicate better.

She nodded, standing up from her chair and leading Dritz back through the ship to the little space that served as a sort of eating area. There was a table with several chairs around it and she thought that might be more comfortable than staying on the bridge for now, considering the navigation would not need to be checked for some time.

[What do you want to learn?] she signed, pointing at him to indicate he might want to suggest the words for her to show him.

“Hm… Let’s start with the basics,” Dritz grinned, taking a seat opposite Vela and kicking his boots off. “Would you show me ‘hello’, and a way to introduce myself. Would I have a way to sign my name?”

He ruffled his hair, leaving it comically fluffy, sticking up in random places.

“Hey, by the way… I really appreciate you doing this. Hiring me. Teaching me your language… I like you, Vela, meeting you was an unexpected delight,” he said, his voice sincere and his goofy grin firmly in place.

Vela smiled faintly, holding out one hand with fingers spread. It was a sign which meant “hello” in a variety of different ways depending on the movement of the wrist, but for now a simple gesture of honest greeting would be the best (and probably only) sign to show him.

She then had to shake her head, unable to give him a sign for his decidedly foreign name. “Dritz,” she managed to say aloud, though barely, pointing to show he could come up with his own gesture for the name if he wanted to.

Listening to what else he had to say, she could only nod and gesture a sincere “thank you” without really knowing what else to add. She wasn’t accustomed to making friends easily, but it seemed Dritz might be on the way to becoming one.

Dritz felt Vela’s soft voice would always startle him, but to hear his name, in particular, was especially striking. He thought for a moment before signing [hello, I’m] and, as he said his own name aloud, he drew his thumb up his throat to his chin.

“That’s not a rude gesture in Aurian, right? In Chrysalan, my name is spoken with the back of the throat, and the sound sort of… Tickles up your neck in this way,” he explained, chuckling slightly to himself. “Our languages must be so odd to humans, let alone to each other.”

He asked a few more things of her, the basics for emergencies (food, water, fuel), the name of the ship, her own name and a few choice phrases he would like for when communicating with her specifically ('hungry’/'tired’). Soon, however, it was clear that both of them were growing weary with it, and Dritz leaned back, regarding her, “So… Is there anything you wanna know about me? Since I’m now working for you. Technically!”

Expressing her pleasure at the new sign for Dritz’s name with a faint smile, Vela repeated it back to him several times before gesturing “good.” It was not a motion that meant anything in Aurian at all. [That’s clever], she added, even if he could not understand that part.

She managed to teach Dritz quite a few signs before they both seemed to agree it was enough for the time being. Studying him in return, she began to realize there were several things she probably should have asked before hiring him. Yet it had been the most simple solution, and so far everything had worked out well.

Slowly she began to string together a basic question out of some of the words she had taught him. [You] … [Chrysala] …. [why, ship?] She was trying to ask why Dritz had left his home planet, but wondered if that would be obvious or not.

Dritz 'listened’ intently, his antennae twitching gently as if in recollection.

“If I’ve understood you right… Um, I left Chrysala in the hopes of exploring beyond our cities. Right, you wanted to know why I got the Pap, so… You’re asking why I left?” he said, scratching his chin. “Chrysalans like to work, though, so I knew I couldn’t get by on exploration alone. Selling Papilio meant I would be forced to earn my next chance. I want that accomplishment.”

He added, a somewhat sheepish smile on his face, “Plus, my elders kept trying to encourage me to take partners and, uh, continue the family. So… Work was a good excuse to avoid that for now.”

Vela understood the concept of needing to explore. It had been a similar situation for her, though she was very certain Chrysalans had far better living conditions than Aurians. Maybe she wouldn’t have felt the same on a more habitable planet, but… it was hard to tell.

She also understood the part about work, to an extent. Idleness was never something Aurians were much given to, either. What she didn’t understand was the last part of what Dritz had said.

“Family?” she managed to pronounce, not having a sign for it. “Partner” was a word the Aurians had, but “family” was very unfamiliar.

The Chrysalan cocked his head, the confusion and surprise evident in his eyes.

“Um, well… I suppose there are lots of definitions. In the simplest terms, family are those of the same bloodline as you; biological similarities, like those who conceived you, and your brothers and sisters, of which I have many. But family can also be… A close-knit group that are not necessarily related but that look out for one another, try and keep each other safe and well,” he said. “Does that make sense?”

The idea of a bloodline was familiar to Vela, at least, and she nodded. Brothers and sisters held no meaning to her, and she didn’t know who had conceived her. It might take some time until she could communicate this properly to Dritz, given that he couldn’t understand all her signs yet.

The second definition of family was one she felt better able to relate to. [Yes], she signed. [I had others like that once.] She could see Dritz didn’t understand the gestures, but she moved on to her next question instead.

“Family,” she forced out before signing, [Engineer. Like you?] At least he would know those gestures, and hopefully understand she wanted to know if his family were also engineers.

It seemed as though the Aurian understood at least part of his definition, which Dritz was grateful for, as he was not sure how to better explain it otherwise.

“Oh, well… a couple of my brothers and sisters are chasing the same sort of work as myself, yeah. My birth mother actually helped build the Pap. So I suppose you could say they’re like me,” he grinned. “My birth father and a couple of my other siblings work more on the sciencey side of things, developing and advancing Chrysalan machinery and the like. I may know a thing or two about ships and stuff, but I couldn’t tell ya the advanced physics behind them like they could.”

Vela followed along with Dritz’s explanation well enough, even if now and then he said a word or two in a way that was different from what she had learned. She was picking up on his mannerisms, and gradually learning the patterns his speech took.

His family sounded impressive, and she tried to show him that through her gestures. Someday she would be able to tell him about her friends, even if she knew most of them had given up on venturing away from their home and had not communicated with her for some time before her leaving. In fact, there had been no one to even see her off Aurctas.

[Chrysala]? she signed next. The truth was she knew little of Dritz’s homeworld. [What’s it like there?] In her eagerness, she forgot that “Chrysala” was the only sign she had taught him.

Dritz stared at her for a long moment before chuckling awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, I’m not too sure what you are saying… Hm…” He seemed to study her again, thinking hard, “Chrysala, what’s it like there? Um, a lot of cities, really dense population. We started to run out of land, so our farms are built upward, and the cities are very tall. There’s areas that are dodgy, and have unsavory folk around, but mostly they’re friendly. The majority of Chrysalans don’t care for violence, and crime tolerance is real low. Maybe one day I could take you there and show you around?”

He beamed at her, “What about Aurctas? If I can understand, that is.”

The concept of having many cities with a large population was not familiar to Vela, of course. Nor was the idea of real buildings, built tall or otherwise. She found she could not picture it in her mind and decided she would look up some vids later.

The Chrysalans stance on crime and violence pleased her, as the Aurians felt the same. She nodded to show she understood, then attempted to tell him about Aurctas, though she knew most of it would be indecipherable to him.

[It’s quite cold. But we don’t notice as much sometimes. There are ice fields and caverns, snow almost all the time. We live in natural dwellings. It would probably seem very backward to you.] She paused, seeing the look on his face which she had come to recognize meant he was having a hard time following.

[Tired]? she gestured instead, realizing how long they had been conversing now. It had also been a long day, and she was more than able to stay up and watch the ship in case Dritz needed to rest.

Dritz tried his best, he really did, but all that he was able to determine was that Aurctas was… Was that gesture 'cold’? He was pretty sure it was cold, but that was only because he couldn’t think of anything else it could mean.

“I guess I am a little,” he admitted with a weak grin. “It’s been a bit of a ride today, hasn’t it? I wouldn’t have guessed, when I got up this morning, that I’d be accompanying you to a neighbor station. Funny, huh?” After a moment he realized something, “Funny odd, not like funny amusing.”

Vela thought over what Dritz had said for a moment and smiled slightly. She supposed it was amusing, in a way. It was definitely odd too; she hadn’t imagined she could have been capable of finding an engineer so fast, and then actually trusting them enough to travel in her ship together.

Knowing Dritz was tired, Vela stood and nodded in the direction of the bunks. She pointed at herself and then toward the bridge, after which she pointed at him and signed, [Sleep.] She wasn’t aware of how much a Chrysalan needed to sleep, but it had to be more than she did.

The Chrysalan’s upper lip twitched and he giggled before tipping his head at her, “Yes, captain.”

He stood and peered around the doorway to the bunks. “You’ll wake me if you need anything, right? Oh… and do you have a preferred bed?”

Unsure why Dritz seemed amused, Vela nodded. She would have to run and get him if anything went wrong, but that wouldn’t be a problem. She was sure there would be no problems at all.

She waved off his question on sleeping preference, as it did not matter to her either way. It might even be possible for her to stay awake the entire journey. [Rest well], she signed before turning and heading to the bridge.

It was quiet there, but not as quiet as it would be once the ship was running as best it could. Vela sat in the chair at the navigation console, watching the stars slowly moving past in the viewscreen. It was impossible for her to get bored, it seemed, and she knew that for hours on end she would be able to simply marvel at actually being able to travel through space.

The bunk room was small, but in a way that some might describe as cozy. Dritz hesitated only briefly before shedding his clothes, rolling them up into a bundle, and flopping onto the left bunk in just his underwear, assuring himself that Vela would have words with him if his undress was a problem.

The Chrysalan had never been one to fall asleep easily, even when exhausted, and usually spent a good half an hour or more starting up at the ceiling, humming to himself, or at his datapad, reading old tech manuals.

With his datapad somewhere else on the ship, he opted to hum tunelessly, lulling himself until he drifted off, limbs splayed and mouth agape.


	7. Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nova runs into some trouble, and their rescuer just happens to be the prince of Coronus.

Hours had indeed passed before Vela moved from her chair. She had stood to walk around and stretch her legs, not thinking much of anything beyond checking the console to see how much farther they had to travel. The readout indicated that there were still at least 48 hours left. She started to move away, but that was when the tone of the ship’s engine began to change.

Spinning around, Vela listened hard. She had never heard it make such a strange grating sound, its usual whine growing even louder. Thinking Dritz would know what to do better than her, she darted off toward the bunk room to wake him.

The Chrysalan was still sleeping peacefully; there was no other option but to grab his arm and attempt to shake him awake. She did not really notice how he seemed to remove most of his clothes when he slept.

It took a few seconds before Dritz seemed to realize something had happened, and he opened his eyes, blinking furiously.

“Vela?” he muttered before he understood that she would not be shaking him simply because he had slept too long. He cursed and leaped up, already able to hear the distress in the ship. Making no move to dress before doing so, he scurried to the engines, snatching up his multitool along the way.

“C'mon, Nova, tell me what’s wrong,” he mumbled as he removed the protective cases and ducked inside. After a second, he poked his head back out and looked at Vela, “The noises been going on long?”

Vela shook her head, holding up a few fingers to show it had only been a few minutes. The noise was continuing to persist, sometimes at a higher pitch, and sometimes lower. A tremor also seemed to pass through the ship during the higher-pitched sequences, and even though she knew it was unlikely, it definitely felt like the ship was about to fall apart.

Dritz continued working at the engine, and Vela looked over his shoulder. She was familiar with the parts of her own ship, at least, and after another few tense minutes, she pointed at the resonance tube. She knew it was an old part and had not been changed yet, but it had also been deemed in good condition and in need of replacing next to last. It would definitely explain the noise.

Even as Vela gestured toward it, Dritz also seemed to realize exactly what was going on.

Dritz looked up at Vela with a highly impressed grin, “Gosh, have I mentioned how much I like you? I thought the exact same thing. Something is messing with Nova’s resonance tube.”

He sat back on his feet, tapping his chin rhythmically, insectile clicks coming from his throat as he thought.

“I think it’s the cylinder… with the new parts of the engine running at maximum output, the tube isn’t as sound as it was before. It’s like it’s trying to vibrate itself apart…”

Dritz’s antennae were flicking repeatedly as he tried to think.

“Honestly, Vela, I don’t know what to do,” he said, sheepish but serious. “We might need to send out a distress beacon. I mean, we could risk a trip back to the station, or risk going forward, but there isn’t a guarantee we’d make it either way.”

If Dritz didn’t know what to do, Vela certainly didn’t either. The answer was obviously a new resonance tube, but of course they weren’t carrying one around as a spare part.

After a moment of internal debate, she slowly nodded. The safest idea was a distress beacon as they continued onward. Without it, they ran the chance of not making it to the next station. They would have to hope whoever found them first was a repair ship that might have parts on board.

She moved to another console and punched in the sequence to turn on the beacon. Trying to appear calm despite her worry, she glanced at Dritz before signing, [Clothes.] He might not want to be in such a state of undress in front of any potential rescuers.

With a snort of laughter, Dritz nodded, “Yeah, I should get dressed.”

He slipped out of the engine area and stood. “Though I can’t help but feel this would add some gravity to exactly how distressed we are. ‘Help, resonance tube kaput and clothes destroyed!’”

Once he was clothed again, he made his way back to Vela, leaning on the back of her chair.

“Hey, it’ll be okay, you know. I don’t want you to worry. There’s plenty of traffic around these parts, at least a ship a day, and even if the tube were to rupture, it wouldn’t harm us. It’d just be real inconvenient.”

He stepped around to sign to her [You. Good?]

Vela waited patiently as Dritz retrieved his clothes and returned looking more presentable. He seemed to know she was worrying, but then again, it might only be natural.

In addition to his words, however, he moved forward to sign to her. A faint smile ghosted across her lips as she signed back, [Yes. Thank you.]

Without a good way to convey her next question, she picked up the datapad to type it. “How long before it goes out? Can you tell?” She then signed this so Dritz might pick up a general feel for the words.

Dritz scratched his head in the manner of one very much doing his best to give an answer that he didn’t have, and signed both yes and no as he spoke, “Eeeehhhh… well. That’s the problem. They’re really reliable, until they aren’t anymore. Judging from the noise and the age of it, though, it could be between one and twenty hours, but I’m optimistic, and I reckon closer to the 'teens.”

He offered her a smile, shrugging, “But the beacon should be picked up before that happens. Bigger freighters will have spares we can buy off them, or smaller vessels might be happy enough to tow us.”

Vela was mostly content with this answer, signing that she understood before sitting back again quietly. For a while, they kept busy as she taught Dritz more signs, but eventually, even this stopped, and they both waited with a certain amount of tension.

Two hours had passed, and the noise from the resonance tube never abated. It was wearying to listen to, and Vela actually began to feel a little distressed when a different noise broke in: the sound of a communication alert beeping to gain their attention.

Instantly she turned to look at Dritz, her eye widening as she gestured at the console. She could not speak to whoever was there without a video monitor, which she did not have currently, and even if she did, there was no guarantee they would understand Aurian sign language.

“Greetings, friend,” Dritz said, all but leaping on the console, thankful for the break in the droning of the engine, and putting on his most polite, friendly tone. “You’re speaking to Dritz, of the ship Nova. Thank you for responding, I’ll be frank; our resonance tube is all but dust, and if you can spare one, or assist us to Hesperus Alpha or Omega, we can pay you well.”

He glanced at Vela, grinning and crossing his fingers, though it occurred to him she might not understand the meaning.

Vela had not known what to expect, but it was not quite what she heard after Dritz’s polite and friendly message.

“Dritz… Nova? What kind of names are those? What kind of ship is that? I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m sure I don’t want to again.”

The sound of the voice was masculine, but the tone was distinctly haughty and overbearing. They also had not answered the question about the resonance tube. Vela moved next to Dritz, signing [What?] and beginning to grow concerned about who they might be interacting with.

After a momentary frown, Dritz smiled once more, but his antennae gave away his tension, flattening against his hair, “Ah, well, Dritz is the closest Basic translation of my Chrysalan name, but that isn’t important.”

He cleared his throat. It might be better to try a different approach.

“I don’t want to take up your time, but since you did respond to our beacon, are you able to help us with a spare resonance tube? I’d be willing to pay above the usual selling price. That way you’ve been paid for the inconvenience too, hm?”

He chose to ignore the scathing comments about the Nova, touching Vela’s arm and offering her a smile. He quickly signed [ship good, like ship].

Vela was comforted by Dritz’s signing, but she still kept a suspicious watch on the communications console, as though she could see through it to the person speaking.

“Oh, Chrysalan? That explains the absurd name. But it doesn’t explain the ship. It’s a piece of junk, from the outside view. Not even a video comm? I really should have thought twice before I stopped.”

There was a murmured conversation then that Vela and Dritz couldn’t quite hear. There was clearly someone else there with the newcomer, but it was impossible to tell any details.

“…shut up now,” they finally heard the first voice hiss before it came back on the speaker properly. “Alright, fine. There is a spare resonance tube aboard the Radiant Sun, and I feel sorry for your pathetic little ship. But you are paying me extra for it.” This person did seem to have a habit of stressing certain words, which sounded odd to Vela. “Normally, I would have my servant take it over, but they are being difficult. I will instead deem to grace you with my magnificence. Now, what’s the location of your teleporter, so this doesn’t take too much of my time.”

Both eyebrows lifted, Vela looked at Dritz again. She still did not know what to make of this individual, and had never even heard of a teleporter before.

Dritz cleared his throat, his smile still in place, though it seemed somewhat fierce. He wasn’t especially patriotic, but to be so snidely insulted rubbed him the wrong way.

“It’s greatly appreciated, friend. I’m not sure if you’re aware of the cost of a teleporter, but it is certainly beyond a crew of two. You can dock in our airlock and I will let you in,” he said, pleasantly but with a firmer edge than before. “I’ll have two hundred UCs in chip form by the time you have done so.”

“Not even a….” For a moment, the stranger seemed lost for words, but they quickly recovered. “Alright. I should have known.” There was then a brief string of phrases that Vela did not recognize, as they were in a language clearly different from Basic.

She handled the airlock controls herself, waiting for the sensors to detect the other ship and opening the outer door so it could dock. She found herself determined to see this strange individual, following Dritz through the ship to where the airlock was instead of staying behind.

Again, Vela had not known what to expect, but it was nothing close to what she saw when the inner hatch opened, and the owner of the voice walked into view. They were carrying the resonance tube in one hand, sure enough, the other hand propped against their hip as they stopped without taking more than a half dozen steps inside.

The stranger’s hair was a shade Vela had never seen before, braided and wrapped around their head. They were dressed in immaculate white and actually rather beautiful, not that Vela would have specifically realized this. Their skin was similar to their hair, and she could also not imagine what sort of race looked like this at all. Above everything else, however, their posture and behavior seemed to drip with arrogance no matter what.

“It’s worse than I thought in here,” was the stranger’s way of greeting them, looking around with the slightest sneer curling their lips.

Once the comms were cut, Dritz let out a series of choice clicks and buzzing noises, his antennae sticking straight up and twitching as he swiped up the datapad and punched in something before fishing in one of the many pockets on his loudly colored trousers. He pulled out a small chip and slotted it into a port in the datapad.

“Enjoy your UCs, friend,” he sighed. He was nothing if not a man of his word. The datapad let out a tiny bleep and he removed the chip.

The individual he had pictured from their conversation had… Well, not been this. The person who came through the airlock, resonance tube in hand, was so beautiful that Dritz was momentarily distracted. Why did they look so… Familiar? He didn’t know them, he’d remember a face of that distinction, wouldn’t he?

“Some ships are more about function over aesthetics,” Dritz said, syrupy sweet and cheerful as he brandished the UC chip. “Your payment, my friend. You’ve helped us out a great deal, it’s really appreciated.”

A change seemed to come over the stranger when Dritz offered the chip, their face softening and mouth slipping into a coy smile. They lifted their opposite hand in an elegant gesture of refusal.

“Oh, I have been horrible. Forgive me. Allow me to make amends. I will offer this to you as a token of friendship, free of charge, in the hope of continued good relations between the wonderful Nova and… the Empire of Coronus.”

The stranger’s eyes were heavily lidded as they gazed at Dritz, and they were now smirking in a satisfied way. They had yet to seem to notice Vela, who stood slightly to one side. It appeared at though they expected something now, but she had not researched much into Coronus, as it was a planet quite far from Aurctas.

“The…” Dritz’s eyes widened in realization. Of course, he recognized the stranger, how he couldn’t have immediately was ridiculous. He cursed, before looking incredibly embarrassed at having done so. He quickly offered a bow typical of Chrysalans, tucking one leg behind the other and bending at the waist.

“I thought I knew your face, but I couldn’t be sure. Hopefully you’ll forgive some ignorance; how do I… Address you? Is it Highness, or…?” Dritz said. The matriarchs on Chrysala were not addressed in a particular way ('madam’ was usually sufficient) unless they were the Grand Overseer, so he wasn’t sure how to properly address the royalty of other worlds.

He reached back and took Vela’s hand, “I’ve already introduced myself, but you’ve not been introduced to the captain of the Nova. This is Vela.”

“Thought you knew my face?” the stranger repeated with an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose that’s something. No one who’s ever seen my face forgets it. You may address me as 'prince.’ To be precise, I am Prince Fera Coronus VIII, and now you can see why you are lucky I have boarded this ship at all.”

Vela had not been paying the closest attention to what was going on, as she had been busily staring at the necklace Fera wore. It seemed to change its shape every so often; whether at random or in a pattern, it was difficult to tell. And when the prince’s attention turned to her at last, his eyes distinctly changed from light to dark blue.

“Vee-laa,” he pronounced, staring. “What an odd name for a captain. But what an odd, drab creature you are. Especially compared to a Coronal and a Chrysalan, hmm?”

Unsure how to proceed, Vela simply signed, [Hello.] Fera turned quickly and looked at Dritz, stabbing a finger in her direction. “What did she just do? I expect a proper greeting, and that had better not be an insult from… from whatever her planet is.”

Beside Vela, Dritz had bristled to hear her referred to so impolitely, especially after she had done nothing to him, but he had hidden it well behind a pleasant smile.

“That, Prince Fera, was a proper greeting. Vela is Aurian. They don’t really have a spoken language, but I made the same mistake too,” he turned to Vela with a fond, if sheepish, grin, “I thought you had fatigue when we first met, didn’t I?”

“She said 'hello,’ by the way,” Dritz added. “I’m still learning her language, but that I can translate.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before the Chrysalan cleared his throat, and gestured to Fera, once again admiring how someone who made such a poor first impression could be so lovely to look at. “Er, well, prince, I’ll be honest, I’m not in the business of accepting things for free, so I propose a trade if you would rather not accept UCs. I like to think I’m a fairly skilled mechanic; perhaps I can offer my services?”

Though Fera’s eyes had turned back to the original light blue, they remained narrowed as he stared suspiciously at Vela. “'Hello,’” he stated flatly, “is not a proper greeting for one of my stature. Besides, I don’t even know what an Aurian is. And I don’t trust anyone whose language I can’t understand. So I will no longer address you.”

It seemed Vela had been effectively dismissed, even though the Nova was her ship. [I didn’t want to talk to you, anyway], she discreetly signed once the Coronal’s attention was directed at Dritz again. She did feel a bit insulted by the prince’s attitude, and wondered if all of his race were similar.

“Oh, a trade,” he was now sighing as though disappointed. “I already have a mechanic. My servant handles all the work on the Radiant Sun for me, as well as being my advisor. She is very talented. I don’t need a mechanic.” He paused for a moment, seeming to reconsider. “However… you never know. Very well, Dritz. Someday I will call upon you to collect your debt of skill.” He then actually said something in Chrysalan, extending both the hand holding the resonance tube and his other hand, probably for Dritz to shake, as she remembered Dritz doing the other day.

Dritz took a protective step in front of Vela, frowning. How dare he speak to her, or anyone like that? Nevertheless, they needed the resonance tube.

“Prince Fera,” he said, forcing a smile as he took the tube and tucked it under his arm. He took the prince’s other hand (which… as incredibly warm, and surprised Dritz enough to give him pause) and bowed again, “I’m very impressed with your Chrysalan, not many have an ear for our tongue, so I consider it an honor.”

He switched to Chrysalan and stood, flattening his antennae against his hair and whipping out a business card from the seemingly endless stash in his pocket, “_I am in your debt_.”

Fera only smirked at whatever it was Dritz said in Chrysalan, though Vela could hear him mutter, “That’s what I like to hear.”

The Coronal glanced at the card he’d been given while holding it daintily between two fingers. “Let’s hope your skills are sufficient enough to meet my requirements,” he added, his tone suddenly turned scathing. It was all he said, in fact, before turning to leave with only a haughty look swept over both of them.

Vela was left with nothing but a bad feeling as the airlock closed behind the prince, and she turned to Dritz, eyebrows raised questioningly. Maybe he would be able to explain some of what had happened.

Dritz escorted Vela out from their side of the airlock, all but punching the terminal to close it, muttering under his breath, “Jerk.”

He sighed and turned back to Vela, leaning against the airlock.

“So, I owe him a favor now, but… I dunno, I don’t think he’ll call me on it,” Dritz said. He turned his nose up and did a fair, if exaggerated, impression of the prince, “You heard me, I have servants for that sort of carry on.”

He shook his head, going back to himself once more, “But imagine meeting a prince all the way out here. And him to be such a… Ahem. Wow. Anyway… Are you alright?”

Dritz put a hand in Vela’s shoulder, looking sad, “I’m so sorry I let him speak to you like that. I was afraid if I said anything, he’d take the resonance tube back, and we’d have to wait for the next kind soul. The Nova is a wonderful ship, with a wonderful captain.” He squeezed her shoulder gently, “And I don’t think you’re 'drab,’ or whatever horrible phrase he used. I think you’re pretty. And I like your language.”

Dritz considered pulling her into a hug, but thought perhaps it might be odd for someone he just met the previous day…

Vela wore a slight smile as Dritz mocked their “guest,” thinking it was a rather good representation. She had never met anyone who acted that way, and had to wonder if it was common among the royalty of any planet.

Nodding to show she was fine, Vela gestured for the datapad to be given to her so she could type. "It doesn’t bother me. But some of it did, what was said about the ship. I am glad you think that way. Thank you. But are you sure, the ship is alright?“

Mirrors were practically unheard of on Aurctas. Vela would not have cared about what anyone said regarding her appearance. It didn’t even seem like an insult to her. But she felt sensitive about the Nova for some reason, and was worried that the resonance tube breaking down just showed that the ship was not worth repairing or would not handle the change well. Beyond that, she didn’t quite know why Dritz seemed to need to reassure her, even if she appreciated the effort he was making.

Dritz read the datapad with a small frown.

"Hey, I love the Nova. She’s…,” Dritz gestured around, clearly in awe and without the words he wanted. He sighed, “On Chrysala, the most important thing is function. Historically, as a population, we don’t tend to notice if something is good-looking. None of this… urgh, this need that others have to have the nicest looking ship, or bike, or whatever. That prince guy, he’s gonna have grown up being shown that the most important thing is beauty. But that has no substance. The Nova has substance. Look at these parts..”

He moved to the engine area, pointing out different panels, “This is fifty or so years ahead of this piece here. But they’re working together. Someone got them to work together, and that’s… Vela, that’s so cool.” He beamed at her, “The Nova is the most amazing machine I’ve ever come across.”

Though she didn’t completely understand, Vela listened carefully to everything Dritz said and nodded. It made no sense to her that beauty could be considered even close to the most important aspect of… anything. What would define beauty, anyway? Wouldn’t it be different among different species?

Rather than put these questions to Dritz, she focused on his words about the Nova instead. He seemed to have confidence, and did belong to a highly-advanced society when it came to technology, so he would know. And if he was excited about the ship, then…

“Thank you. But you shouldn’t have to be in someone’s debt for me. I was the one who should have bought or traded for the equipment. You don’t know that prince won’t come back.” She handed the pad to Dritz again after typing this, now frowning. It was the only point left which was making her feel concerned.

Dritz wagged a finger at Vela, “Oh, come on. I don’t mind. We’re friends, and for now, I am part of the crew; a unit. Even if that is just the two of us. So, y'know… Your debt is my debt. And, well… I’m the one who ran my mouth. Anyway, I’m pretty sure he’ll not bother with us again. Don’t worry about it, Vela.”

He threw an arm around her and held up the resonance tube, “Now. Shall I get this sorted out so we can get the heck away from the Oh So Radiant Sun?”

For a moment, Vela was confused, wondering if Dritz was making up his own signs, but decided his holding one finger up and moving it in that way meant something to his people instead. She was also a little startled by the motion of his arm around her. Did that mean something else?

She decided that for now, it was best to focus on fixing the ship and getting to the station for the other part. [Yes,] she signed. [The sooner, the better.] When Dritz released her, she went to the panel to lift it open for him again so he could change out the resonance tube. It was an odd feeling to have a “crew,” even if it was just one other individual. But she found herself with a smile again, knowing it was the most she had done so in a long time.


	8. Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela fix the ship, and have a chat.

“C'mon, Nova, let’s cheer you up,” Dritz said, clambering in and making light work of fitting the resonance tube, “Don’t listen to him, me an’ Vela love you. You just need some work here and there, but what doesn’t? Heck, I probably need work too.”

Once he was done with the fitting (and apparently chatting to the Nova), Dritz flopped out from the engine area with a wide grin and one rickety resonance tube.

“Listen to that! What a lovely noise,” he announced. “Good stuff, that’ll last yeeeaaars.”

He helped Vela close the panel and secure it for the time being.

Vela’s smile continued while she listened to Dritz talk to the ship as he worked. It would be something unheard of on Aurctas, literally as well as figuratively. She had never considered the Nova as being an entity of its own.

It didn’t take long for the ship to be running much more smoothly and (relatively) more quietly, and the panel was closed up again. Vela checked the flight settings to see they were still on course, satisfied nothing else had gone wrong.

After all that had happened, she realized now might be a good time for her to rest as Dritz had earlier. [Sleep], she signed to him, then pointed at herself.

The Chrysalan cocked his head, his eyes widening with realisation. “Shoot, I guess you haven’t had the chance to rest any yet, have you? Yeah, you really should sleep.”

He strolled over to the seat in front of the controls and beamed, “I’m no pilot, but I can read your flight pattern, so I’ll wake you if there’s trouble, okay?”

Once Vela had made her way to the bunks, Dritz settled, happily watching the stars move past them, and the numbers on the display remaining within the safe threshold either way. After a while, he started humming gently, then a little while after that, fetched three small screwdriver fittings from his tool bag, idly juggling as he roamed the flight deck, periodically returning to examine the path they were taking.

Confident that Dritz could handle the ship on his own for a little while, Vela headed to the bunk room and looked around briefly. The bed her engineer had used was still in a disarray of blankets; for some reason she decided to straighten it for him. Maybe as gratitude for helping her so much that day, even if this simple action was nowhere near enough.

Then she lay down on the other bed, staring at the ceiling for merely a few moments before she slipped into a deep sleep.

–

It was near two hours after Vela had gone to sleep when she was ready to return to the bridge. Aurians awoke quickly and effortlessly, just as they slept. There would be no need for her to rest again for at least a day.

She greeted Dritz with the soft, almost-smile she was seeming to develop upon seeing him, but the way he reacted soon confused her.

The bridge was quiet, almost dull without Vela. Even with the Nova’s fascinating engineering, it wasn’t the same without her to rant and babble to. He smiled to himself, hoping she was resting well, but soon thought he heard movement. He paused his juggling, antennae twitching in concentration as he listened, and he turned in time to be greeted with Vela’s gentle expression. It honestly looked as though she had not slept at all, with her pale hair just as neat as before, her eye just as bright.

“Vela,” he said, almost sounding as though he was scolding her, “You were supposed to sleep, not just rest and then come back. It’s been nearly… what, 35, 40 hours?” He sighed and folded his arms, “Go back to bed. Sleep as long as you like, I promise I will take the best possible care of the Nova.”

Vela’s eyebrows drew down slightly as she gestured, [No. I did sleep.] With this, she moved to one of the chairs and sat down, hopefully letting him know that she trusted him to still be on course without her needing to check.

Dritz shook his head, “Nuh uh, you surely can’t function after only a couple of hours of sleep.” He gestured to the bunks, “You should go back to bed. Don’t make me carry you. Cuz I will.”

Not moving from the chair, Vela slowly gestured [no] again, making sure he was catching the sign. She pointed to herself and shook her head, since he seemed to understand that better. [I have rested], she continued to persist through signing. The idea that he would want to carry her was ridiculous, of course. How could she be made to sleep more if she had already completely recovered from her tiredness?

Dritz looked as though he might march over and scoop her up, frowning and raising a finger as though he was about to argue the point, but instead he said, “The second you feel even remotely tired, I want you to go straight back to bed.”

He turned back to the console to check in their path, then strided towards the Nova’s smaller eating area.

“You need to eat, then, at least. I’m going to make you something,” he insisted. With a far more lighthearted grin, he added, “And don’t think I won’t follow through on carrying you back to be-” He pulled a face, slipping into the kitchen with a hint of further colour in his face, “That, um, that sounded a way I didn’t mean for it to sound. Am I still talking? Wow. Back to food.”

Vela kept one eyebrow lifted at being told what to do, but figured Dritz meant well. She still didn’t know why he was so insistent she take care of herself when they had only met recently. To her, anyone newly met should already know how best to look after themselves with no need to interfere unless there was an emergency.

She did follow along behind him into the eating area, however, also unsure why he suddenly seemed embarrassed. The words he had used meant nothing in particular to her, though she wished he would stop assuming she needed to sleep more. Food, at least, was something she wasn’t opposed to just then.

As was his way when he felt he’d said something less than correct, Dritz rambled ceaselessly, more talking to himself than to Vela as he pottered about, hunting for bowls and water to re-hydrate the dried rice he’d picked up. While he knew that his diet was pretty awful (he’d happily eat the same three meals over and over), he’d made a special effort to ensure there was enough variety in case Vela disliked anything in particular.

“So, I have this dried rice and vegetable mixture… it’s pretty good for space food,” he said, adding powder to water and covering the bowls, setting them on the table. “Do you want something hot to drink? I dunno if it ever happened to you, but while I was travelling to the station, I would get really cold after sleeping. Tea really helps, if you want some. I even found a kind from home,” he beamed.

Having seated herself in one of the chairs at the table, Vela watched Dritz move around the kitchen with a sense of purpose. He did seem to like being busy, but she could at least partially understand that. Aurians needed to keep busy as well, but once off the planet, she found herself more willing to be idle at times.

She nodded in acceptance of the rice and vegetables, remembering this exact sort of meal being traded for at home. To hear him suggest she might have been cold did amuse her again, however. He might not be aware of how cold Aurctas actually was. “Tea?” she managed to say regardless, as she had no sign for it, and she was very fond of hot drinks.

Dritz’s eyes seemed to light up to hear her speak, and he nodded, reaching behind himself to grab a box from his bag of supplies. On it was Chrysalan writing and bright illustrations of flowers.

“If you’ve never had Chrysala Blossom, you’re in for a treat. Even if you don’t like the taste, it’s quite cool to watch,” he said brightly. He poured two new bowls of hot water and set one in front of Vela before opening the box and offering her a pellet of what looked like dried leaves.

“You put this in your water and leave it to open up. Once the flower is visible and the water has gone green, it’s time to drink it,” he explained, putting his own in. The pellet soaked up the warm water, and slowly the leaves began to unfurl, colouring the water a pale green at first, eventually revealing a small, bright turquoise flower in the centre, which bled a soft teal into the water. “Give it a try. Careful the blossom itself doesn’t get in your mouth, the flavour is really strong and bitter when taken directly.”

The tea was refreshing and fragrant; light citrus notes with a very subtle mint after taste.

Vela watched in absolute fascination as the plant expanded into the water of Dritz’s bowl. She had naturally never seen anything like it, but if she had heard of this “Chrysala Blossom” before, she knew she would have wanted to try it.

Hesitating, she finally slipped the pellet she had been given into her own bowl. Would it work the same for her? She only realized she was leaning closer to the bowl instead of using her special eye after it was too late to hide her intense curiosity. The plant came out, exactly as it had for Dritz, and she found herself unable to stop staring at it for a few minutes even after.

She sipped it carefully, heeding the Chrysalan’s words about the blossom part. It was different from the hot drinks she had traded for on Aurctas, but she thought it was rather enjoyable just the same. [Good], she signed to him. After another moment she added, [It’s nice.] She could think of no way to explain to him how she appreciated the appearance of a plant almost as much as the taste.

The smile Dritz gave Vela then was brighter than ever. For some reason, sharing the Chrysala Blossom with her felt like a very personal gesture, even though that was silly; it was one of the first things visitors to the planet would be introduced to. Still, to know she was enjoying it made him happier than he would have expected.

[Good. I am like,] he signed to her. After a second, he chuckled and added, “Um, I mean that I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Heh, I think I need to practice my Aurian as regularly as I can!”

He uncovered both of their meals, and started tucking into his own, “So… how come I haven’t heard of Aurctas before? I mean, I know the galaxy is big, that goes without saying, but… is your population just especially small, or do you not travel much? Obviously you don’t have to answer my questions, by the way, I’m just curious to learn more about you.”

With a slight smile, Vela thought she would have to agree that he needed to practice. But it had only been a short while since he had begun trying, so there was much a lot of hope for improvement.

The bowl of food was warm and delicious, and she began to eat while listening to Dritz ask his questions. She continued eating without pause, knowing he would not be able to understand her signs for the answers. In a way, she also didn’t want to explain just yet. There were times when she still felt sadness over it all, the plight of her people and their tendency to be unwilling to change.

Her meal was mostly finished by the time she looked up and signed [good] again. Then she sat back in the chair and frowned to herself. [I’ll tell you someday. For now, can you tell me about the plants on Chrysala? I don’t have much experience with live plants.] Knowing he would not get the majority of this, she signed again, more slowly, [Plants.] She then pointed at the blossom remaining in her bowl. [Chrysala?] She was not sure if he would understand, but would use the datapad if needed.

Chewing his lip, Dritz looked down at his food for a moment. Had he upset Vela? Perhaps Aurctas was not a subject she enjoyed. She had left, after all…

“Flowers? Oh, plants? Chrysalan plants? Gosh, we grow so many. Mostly vegetables for export, but tea grows well there, because it’s so warm and wet there. We have tiered farming, since it’s so populated too; the tea is grown up high so it can collect the rain, and root vegetables are at the bottom, since they don’t need so much. Sadly there’s not a lot of naturally occuring plant life any more. I’ll have to take you there sometime and show you, since they allow the public to walk around some of the farms.” He smiled warmly, “I’d love to take you.”

Vela listened to Dritz explain the plants on Chrysala, nodding. It felt a little sad to hear there was no longer much natural growth. [Aurctas], she signed. [No plants.] It would not be the same as having agriculture at the very least, but she wondered if it felt upsetting to him in any way.

The idea of traveling to the Chrysalan home world was appealing to her. [Can we really go there? You would take me?] After a moment of thought, she added [You… go… Aurctas?] It would only be polite to ask if he wanted to visit her own planet, even if she was not certain she was willing to take him yet.

“There are no plants at all?” Dritz asked. “That’s sad. I will definitely have to take you to Chrysala and show you, then, it would be a pleasure.” He offered her a smile, “Maybe we could get some hardy plants to keep on the Nova? I reckon you could easily keep certain ones that need little to no light or water, and they might be nice for you if Aurctas hasn’t any?”

He watched her signs closely and grinned, signing [yes] enthusiastically. “Someday I’d like to visit as many planets as possible, so why not make a friend’s homeworld a priority?”

The idea of plants to keep on the ship brightened Vela so much that she forgot about the rest of her food and sat up straight, her eye practically gleaming. [I thought plants needed light and earth, on a planet. Can they really survive on a ship? What about on the station? Could I have some in my room there?]

Realizing her eagerness might seem odd, she sat back and felt unusually shy. [I just like plants, that’s all. I’ve only seen a few alive. It’s different from how I’m interested in space, though. My people could use plants, if only… if only they were willing to move on.]

She just looked at Dritz then, wondering what he would think even if he couldn’t understand most of what she’d said.

Dritz’s own eyes widened and he held up both hands, giggling, “Whoa there, I think you are definitely up for the idea, but I’m having a hard time following you. Plants for the ship; we can get you some that can last with minimal light and water. They won’t be green, but some of them flower nicely. If you want ones that are green and… Traditionally plant-y, I’ll happily install a couple lights that mimic sunlight. And did you ask about your room? We could definitely get some for your room on the station.”

The Chrysalan smiled warmly, resting his head against his hand. He raised an eyebrow and tapped Vela’s bowl. “Hey, make sure you eat. You full?”

Vela both nodded and gestured [yes] to emphasize her agreement to all of Dritz’s ideas on the subject of plants. She couldn’t decide whether she wanted a lot of plants for her room on the station or just one or two that were special.

She made a gesture which meant “enough” when the Chrysalan indicated her food. The subjects of plants and her homeworld both had dulled her appetite, though for different reasons.

[Why?] she signed, wondering why he cared about it.

The Chrysalan looked at her bowl for a moment before nodding, fairly satisfied she had eaten well enough. If she did not want to sleep any further, she at least was more refueled, as it were.

He thought it insulting for him to say that she looked a bit underweight (perhaps Aurians were naturally slender), and a bit too personal to explain that he just liked to do his best to care for people he liked, so shrugged, smirking, “If you won’t go back to bed, I want to make sure you’re still well.”

Vela gave Dritz the confused little frown which was starting to mean she had no idea what he was thinking. This didn’t last long, as her previous thoughts were still at the front of her mind.

She stood from the table, then pointed at her bowl. [I’ll clean it up later.] Without waiting to see what Dritz would do, she headed back off to the bridge to check their settings.

As she had suspected due to some of the Nova’s older parts, by now they were beginning to fly slightly off-course. Carefully she adjusted the coordinates and stood back to watch the forward viewscreen. It occurred to her that Fera’s ship would only have been visible if directly in front of them, meaning it had been to the side or behind. It would have helped to see it, probably, and she wondered if Dritz would know who to contact about getting a screen that could handle multiple viewpoints, as well as video transfer capability.

Dritz watched her go, waiting until she was gone before standing and washing their dishes before tidying them away. Once he was done, he followed her through to the flight deck.

He flopped down at the navigation console and watched her, his yellow eyes wide.

“Hey, you’re not mad at me, are you?” he asked lightly. His smile soon appeared again, and he chuckled sheepishly, “I just like to take care of people as much as I do ships.”

He glanced at the screens, tapping his chin, “Whatchya up to?”

Eventually, Vela became aware that Dritz had followed her, sitting at the navigation console. She turned and listened to him, but couldn’t understand how he had come to such an idea. [Why?] she signed again, not sure why she would be angry, or why he would want to take care of other people. [No] she signed next, just to be sure he knew she wasn’t mad.

It took her a little while to think of how to best explain her thoughts. [Screens. The Nova needs new ones. To view more of the surrounding space, and for video communications.] She wondered if he would understand without use of the datapad. [Screens], she repeated, pointing at the current one. [New?]

Dritz looked relieved, but was smiling once again, “Well… I actually couldn’t tell you why… Maybe because I come from such a huge family. Everyone looks after everyone. I’ve always had younger siblings around who need someone to keep an eye on them.” He shrugged once again, his smile turning to one of mild embarrassment.

He caught ‘Nova’ and there was a gesture that he thought could logically be 'talking’ or 'looking’, but he understood completely when she simplified it for him.

[Yes,] he signed back, “Are you thinking because of the Radiator Sun, and it kinda sneaking up on us back there? I think it’ll be a bit slower than the engine repairs, because I’m less well versed in that sort of tech, but if we discuss it further once we’re at the station, we can see about the parts. Did you mention a video comm, or something? Or did I misunderstand?”

He stood and moved to where she was, pointing to a decent space by her console, grinning “Depending on the setup, we could put it there… Where would you normally be, my captain?”

Though it was an odd concept to Vela, she supposed the reason behind Dritz’s caring manner did make sense after he explained it. If it was in his nature and made him feel better, then she supposed it was alright and wouldn’t try to oppose it unless it was a real inconvenience.

She lifted an eyebrow at his name for Fera’s ship, but gave him an affirmative nod. [I’d rather not be caught without one if we run across someone like him again.] Even if it took longer, it wouldn’t matter to her. She had known it would take a decent amount of time to fix the ship up to a standard she found acceptable.

For a while, she pondered the space Dritz had indicated, before deciding to agree. [Here. This is good.] She thought for another moment before facing him formally. [Thank you.] Then she made a gesture for which there would likely be no translation, one which showed her gratitude would be extending for a long time.


	9. Ve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela run into a little trouble in the form of hostile aliens.

“We should be able to get some decent equipment from Alpha when we get back,” Dritz grinned, hauling himself up from where he had crouched and stretching with a groan. “It’s going to be a little while until we hit the station, what do you wanna do?”

-

Once Vela had adjusted their coordinates and set them right, Hersperus Omega soon appeared on the navigation panel. It looked as though they had arrived at Alpha once more, but as they approached, it became clear that the struts supporting each ring were coloured differently.

From his new favourite place at the navigation console, Dritz snickered, setting aside the dried meal packets he’d been using to show off his juggling skills, “I love the stations in this sector. They were all made from identical plans, so how do they distinguish them? Colourful supports. Anyway, welcome to Hersperus Omega. I’ve only been here once before, so this’ll be new to both of us. I’m guessing we will have no problems finding our way.”

Vela had only been mildly entertained by Dritz’s juggling, which she mostly kept an eye on to be sure he didn’t drop anything. She did sign that he was good at it, in an amused way.

Hesperus Omega was a welcome sight, as she was glad to be able to pick up the part they had needed before. It was true there was very little difference in station design, beyond the colors and size. It was also true, fortunately, that the interior layout was much the same.

Docking was far easier with Dritz to speak for her, and Vela once again thought it was incredibly convenient to have a crew member along to handle some of the things she wasn’t as good with. She was able to lead the way to the shop area, where he handled purchasing the part as well.

There was no real hurry to install the part, and the Aurian found she wanted to walk about for a while off the ship before they headed back to Alpha. [Walk?] she attempted to sign to Dritz. [Look around?]

With the parts stored safely on the ship, Dritz was more than happy to wander the station with Vela, once he finally understood her. He wasn’t sure whether he had not ‘listened’ properly, but he was particularly slow on the uptake.

“Sure! It’ll be nice to stretch our legs, we’ve got a fair ways to travel later, and we don’t wanna deal with cabin fever. It’s maddening to be stuck on a ship for long periods. I’m guessing you know that, though,” he giggled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Relieved when Dritz agreed to accompany her (it had taken a bit longer than usual to make herself understood this time), Vela picked a random direction and steered them that way. It turned out that Omega’s layout was exactly the same as Alpha, the main difference being the latter was roughly twice the size.

They were walking around the second ring when they discovered that the size of the station was not the only thing which differed. It seemed there were more hostile inhabitants than Vela had met on Alpha. Two men, human by the looks of them (even if one could never truly tell at a glance), had walked close by and almost appeared to be following them now, stopping when they stopped and acting casual by all other appearances.

Wondering if Dritz had noticed, Vela tried to subtly glance over her shoulder at the pair, then back at him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“I’ve seen them,” Dritz said, keeping his tone bright but quiet, as though there was nothing wrong. “We’ll start trying to head towards a busier street. They won’t try anything there.”

The Chrysalan patted his jacket pockets absently, as though looking for something. He gestured towards a main walkway, “Hey, shall we check out the places to eat that way?”

Vela nodded, trying to quicken her pace without being too obvious, but before they could reach the main walkway, a voice called out behind them.

“Hold on a minute.” Even knowing she could ignore it and keep going, something made Vela turn and look at the individuals properly for the first time. They were both male, from what she knew, but she had studied enough to know these were not humans upon closer inspection. Their breathing was odd, slightly heaving, and she could see gills set down against the base of their necks. When one pointed at her, she could see he had webbing between his fingers as well. A strange feeling came over her then, and she knew she had seen this species before.

“Nice day, isn’t it? Not too cold,” the owner of the first voice said, the taller one with dark hair. The pair were largely ignoring Dritz, intent upon Vela for whatever reason, but she was beginning to guess the reason quickly enough.

Dritz turned as soon as he had noticed Vela doing so, his hand finally finding what he was after. He looked the strangers up and down, a smile on his face that was amiable enough, but nowhere near his usual wide grin.

“Afternoon, lads. I dunno if you’ve noticed, but the station temperatures are regulated,” he said brightly, chuckling. Slipping a hand into his jacket pocket and slowly opening the knife on his multitool, holding it ready in case he needed to use it. He put his free arm around Vela’s waist, drawing her close and inclining his head to the gilled men, “Sorry, bad joke. She’s always telling me how crap my humour is. Anyway, what can we do for you?”

Vela had not known what she expected Dritz to do, but had not ever thought he would pull her close, as though to protect her. More likely she thought he would try to escape from whatever these men wanted, since they only seemed interested in her. She didn’t know what to think, but the shorter of the men had suddenly spoken right after Dritz.

“'She’? They don’t have genders. Don’t tell me you think this is a woman, and you’re sticking your–”

A sharp elbow from the first man shut him up as quickly as he had started. “We’re only interested in what this is doing here.” He pointed at Vela. “It’s an Aurian. They don’t exist off their planet. And we know that for a fact.” He then signed [Trade?] to Vela, though her only response was a hostile stare. She still didn’t know what to do, but her memory of this species was slowly growing stronger.

Dritz tensed next to Vela, eyeing the men. He could have responded just as crudely, had the other finished his sentence, but in hindsight it was probably better he didn’t lower himself to their level. Keeping a firm hold on Vela, he shrugged, “Well, perhaps the Aurians are expanding their horizons, apparently unlike yourselves, thinking an entire race would be the same as one another.”

He half turned them so that he could put himself between Vela and the men. “Now, we’ve been quite accommodating so far, but if you speak to, or about her, like that again, we might have a problem. What is it we can do for you?” he said calmly, but it was obvious he was finished trying to be jolly.

Both of the men stiffened at Dritz’s words, whether in outrage or just slight offense was difficult to tell. “We’ll speak however we want,” the shorter one snapped, jabbing a finger in Vela’s direction. He seemed to be the most volatile of the pair. “But it’s likely got a stash of Ve left somewhere, if it’s off the planet. Do you know about that, insect? It’s worth a small fortune but they trade it for simple goods. They’re stupid creatures.”

“Shut up!” the first man hissed, seeming to think his partner was ruining their opportunity. “Anyway, we’ll trade for the Ve, whatever you have. It’s not worth that much. But it’s worth something. We’ll even give you credits for it instead. And we’ll forget we saw the Aurian if you do this.”

Ve. Of course it was about that horrible metal. Vela tried to turn back in Dritz’s grip to face the men, but he was quite strong. She did manage to turn enough to gesture angrily, [I have no Ve. I sold it all to get where I am. You have no right to it, anyway.]

“No Ve?” the first gilled man repeated. “That what you said? Impossible. I’m sure you’ve got some. You got a hold over it, Chrysalan? You controlling it? Telling it to say that? Do you know how many credits you’re sitting on?”

She hadn’t told Dritz about Ve yet. There was no time to explain. These men only knew the basic trading signs, so she could not explain more to them either. Despair was rising in Vela’s chest, a feeling that it had all gone wrong so soon after she had escaped Aurctas.

“I have no idea what you’re flapping your gills about,” Dritz sighed, gently urging Vela to move further away from them, “But you understand her, and if she’s told you she doesn’t have whatever you’re after, then she doesn’t have it. Now…” He cleared his throat and took a step closer to them, “Since neither myself, nor my friend have what you want, I suggest you continue about your day, and allow us to do the same, because if I have to tell you once more about your manners towards her, I will no longer be held responsible for my actions.”

Dritz drew himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders and fixing them with a stare.

The men did seem even angrier by this point, but they drew back to discuss between themselves in a hushed tone. It might have been the sight of Dritz standing squarely to face them, or it might have been something else, but they did not come closer when they were through talking.

“Fine,” the taller spat. “I think you’re lying about the Ve, but we’ll not push it. This time. I think you’d better watch out for yourselves, that’s all.”

“Hope you keep enjoying whatever it’s got down there,” the second sneered along with a crude gesture, before they both turned and hurried off, melting into the nearby crowd effortlessly.

Still held by Dritz, Vela found she was now shaking with anger over the entire situation. She wished they would come back so she could punch one of them in the face, the shorter one in particular.

What would happen now? Would he no longer trust her? Would these men return with others, so certain she had Ve, and try to harm them in order to get it… or worse? Maybe Dritz would abandon her now. Her thoughts swirling, she found she could not even face the Chrysalan just yet, but stared at the spot where the men had last stood.

“You watch yourselves if I ever see you again,” Dritz spat as they retreated, keeping his stance tall. Once he was certain the men had gone, however, he seemed to visibly crumple with relief, unwinding his arm from Vela’s waist and planting both hands on his knees, his shoulders shaking. After a second of heavy breathing he wretched a couple of times, but mercifully that was all he did. He’d never been so angry before, nor had he ever been so close to being the one to actually start a fight. Despite being a pacifist, he’d needed to finish a fight or two in his time, and most folk responded better to the threat of a weapon than any physical intervention, hence why he had taken to carrying his multitool everywhere, though he had never used it. He was far more disgusted by what they had said about Vela than he ever would have expected, and he actually wanted to… well, punching might be too far, he thought, feeling somewhat queasy again. He wished he’d been able to frighten them. Once he was certain he wouldn’t puke in front of Vela, he stood once more, reaching into his pocket and eagerly folding the knife away with a trembling hand.

His composure more or less regained, he turned and grasped Vela’s shoulder, speaking sweetly, “Are you alright?” He absently kneaded the heavy fabric over her shoulder in a way that was supposed to be comforting for Vela, but he found fairly soothing himself.

It wasn’t too long before Dritz was touching her shoulder, asking if she was alright, and it was then that she realized the noises she had been hearing in the meantime had been him.

[Yes], she quickly signed, turning to look him up and down. It wasn’t completely the truth, as she was still shaken by the incident, but Dritz seemed a lot worse off than she was at the moment. [Are you? Sick?] The feeling of despair rose up in her again. Maybe, after what the men had said, he had fully realized her genderless state was bizarre; maybe it had disgusted him that much, even if they were not involved as mates, as the men seemed to imply.

The Chrysalan flushed just slightly, “Aaah, yeah, don’t worry about me. I, uh, I really, really hate confrontation like that, and I got a little too angry and made myself feel sick. I’m fine, though, aside from angry with those bastards.”

He shared his bright smile with her once again and gestured to the main thoroughfare, “Shall we continue our walk, or do you want to go back to the ship? It’s entirely up to you.”

It was a relief to see Dritz smile again in the usual way, but Vela was still very uncertain that everything was alright. She debated a moment, then signed ‘ship,’ not sure what to say about the rest of what he had told her. The men were unlikely to be following them now, but given a little more time they would probably be looking for them again. It might be best to put as much distance between them as possible.

She took the lead, thinking over what Dritz had said but feeling unable to face him at the moment. He said he didn’t like confrontations and they made him feel upset, but what if he was just saying that to cover for what he really felt?

Once back on the ship, she pretended to busy herself at the navigation console, waiting to see if he would maybe approach her about leaving on his own. He would want a ride back to Hesperus Alpha, of course, but beyond that…

Vela was definitely acting weird as they made their way back to the ship. Of course, he couldn’t be a hundred percent sure of himself, but he liked to think he knew at least something of her manner. She was not so relaxed, which was understandable. Had she seen those men before? No, she didn’t seem to recognise them, he was sure he’d have noticed. Maybe she was angry that he hadn’t defended her… No. He recalled their brief interaction about his caring nature; she was not like that.

Something was wrong beyond those horrible men, nevertheless, he was sure.

Once they were safely back on the Nova, he allowed her a few minutes’ peace without him behind her, then plopped down at the free console, looking at her.

“Hey, c'mere and talk to me a sec,” he said softly, putting a hand on her arm and pointing to the datapad in case they needed it. “Something I don’t entirely understand happened back there, and you don’t have to tell me what it was about, but I’m worried about you. What is it they think you had? Is… Is someone after you?”

He took her hand in his own and looked at her seriously, “If anyone is out to harm you, I want to help.”

It surprised her when Dritz began talking in such a soft and kind tone. But then again, she had trusted him originally and he had yet to let her down, so it might be worth trusting him again now.

She didn’t know what to think when he touched her arm, and held her hand for a moment. Touching someone physically was more of an intimate act to Aurians, reserved for close friends and mates. Yet somehow, it did not feel wrong for Dritz to touch her.

After a few moments she pulled back gently, picking up the datapad and beginning to type slowly as she chose her words with care. Whatever happened next was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, and when she handed the pad back to Dritz she turned away again, waiting to hear what he would have to say.

“It’s a precious metal found on my planet. Aurians trade it for food and other supplies. I didn’t know those men, but they are one of the races that come to trade. I sold all I owned, turned it into credits after I left Aurctas. It’s natural they would assume I had some. We don’t leave Aurctas. In fact I think I’m the only one who has ever done so. I don’t think anyone else is after me, but now that these men know… But you don’t have to help. You don’t like confrontation. It could be too dangerous. I don’t want you to be in danger for my sake.”

Dritz offered her a soft smile as he accepted the datapad, before he glanced down to read, which he did several times to ensure he understood her completely.

He stood, putting a hand on her shoulder to alert her to what he was about to do before pulling her into a hug, her narrow shoulders pressed against his chest, his arms around her protectively for the briefest squeeze. He had wanted to hug her once already, but this time it felt like a good way to punctuate what he wanted to say. Gently turning her so he could look at her properly, he couldn’t help but grin.

“You’re really the only one of your people to leave? Okay, we’ll get back to how amazing and historical that is in a sec,” he said. His expression softened as he continued, “So… I may not like confrontation, but it happens, and so long as I can help resolve it without harm coming to anyone, I can handle it. I’ll help you in any way I can. You’re my captain, right? And we’re friends, why would I abandon you?”

He squeezed her shoulders once more, as though it were a full stop to the uncertainty. He beamed, “So you realise you’re… incredible, right? Do you know just how… wow, how mind blowing it is that you’re the only Aurian out in the galaxy? You should be proud! I’m proud just to know you!”

This time, even when Dritz wrapped her into a hug, Vela didn’t think about protesting. They had been through a surprising amount together so far, even just knowing each other a few days, and she already did feel that they were truly friends.

She listened to what he had to say, only able to manage putting one arm up in a weak effort to return the embrace, though she did notice how warm and pleasant it was to be so near someone. However, she did shake her head as she pulled away to use the datapad again.

“I don’t feel that special. Especially now that I might possibly be pursued. Are you certain you are willing to risk danger? I would be glad for the help, but I still fear for your safety as well.” She paused a long moment before deciding on what else she had to say and handing the datapad back. “And you heard what they said about Aurians. Do you really want to be around someone like me?”

“I’m a big guy, Vela, you don’t need to worry about me,” he said softly, though he was touched that she seemed so concerned for him. “But thank you. Think of it this way; there is less risk to both of us if we stick together and look out for one another, right?”

He frowned at the last question.

“Someone like you? What, someone kind and pleasant? Or maybe you mean someone unique and groundbreaking?” he said innocently before shaking his head. “What they said upset me only in the way they disrespected you, not in the subject. I’m guessing you mean about your gender? I honestly don’t know why that would matter to me, it makes no difference to who you are. Or maybe you mean being a "stupid creature”, which… You obviously aren’t.“

He looked at her sympathetically, holding out the datapad, "Or did they say something else horribly unimportant and untrue that I missed 'cuz I was already seeing red?”

Vela could not help but think there would be no danger to Dritz at all if he chose not to stay with her, but that didn’t seem to be an option to him. The truth was that she was now a little scared to be on her own, and thought if he had decided against staying with her, she might have ended up heading back to Aurctas. But the appeal of space travel, her freedom…. maybe she would not have gone back, after all.

As Dritz continued to surprise her through his kind words and opinions of her, Vela suddenly felt the need to sit down at the console again. How could she have been so lucky to meet someone so caring right away? She had never been bothered by a lack of distinct genders in her people, of course. But seeing the variety the galaxy had to offer, she had begun to think she would be considered rather plain and dull, especially after what the prince of Coronus had said.

“That’s all it was. I just thought it might be strange to someone like you, with so much variety in your life. I’m glad you don’t mind, and you’ll stay with me. Maybe we should go back to Hesperus Alpha now, before those men start trying to track where we’re going.” With any luck, they hadn’t been on the station long enough for anyone to really notice their presence. “The parts replacement can wait until we’re back. There’s nothing else you needed here, is there?” She handed the pad back, signing, [Thank you.]

“I would like nothing more than to stay with you. I like us as a crew,” Dritz beamed. “Once we get the Nova happy and healthy, we can go anywhere together. You name it, we’ll go there!” He stood and made a flamboyant sweeping motion. “For now though, we will head back to Alpha, cap'n!”

He crouched in front of her and gave her shoulder one last squeeze, “It’ll be okay.”


	10. Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela learn even more about each other, and start feeling closer than ever.

Vela smiled faintly at the idea of going everywhere in the Nova, and Dritz’s repeated reference to her as “captain.” She nodded to him, hoping it really would be alright.

After he had obtained clearance for their departure once more, Vela began to adjust the settings at the navigation console for takeoff. They worked together as a team already, which left her with a strange (but not unwelcome) feeling of contentment.

The settings had been programmed carefully and would only need minimal adjustments for the next ten hours at least. Vela leaned back in her seat at the console, looking at Dritz and signing [Sleep?] once more. Another whole day had nearly passed, and by the time the Chrysalan naturally awoke, Vela thought she might need to rest again.

Soon after their little heart to heart, Vela seemed to be getting back to herself some more, which was reassuring to Dritz. There was only so much he could do to help her while they didn’t know each other so well.

The take off was smoother than before, them both finding their responsibilities well, without working over one another. The whole thing felt as though it had fallen into place so neatly it was like a waltz. From what little Dritz knew of that style of dancing, anyway.

It was only when he considered Vela’s suggestion that he fully realised how tired he actually was, and he nodded, signing back [Sleep good. Good.] and grinning. Once he established that Vela was not tired yet (though he was not quite sure how that was possible), and he was certain she was alright, he agreed to go and rest.

Discarding his clothes, Dritz’s gaze naturally fell to the bunk he had claimed, which had been neatly arranged, the cover pulled back to allow the thin mattress to air, though he was sure he had left it in a mess. His antennae flicking and waving, he smiled to himself. Either Vela had prepared it for him or she had not liked the mess, and given her casual attitude to the dining area cleaning, he was sure it was the former. This thought only served to make the bunk seem more comfortable as he flopped onto it on his front, burying his face in the pillow and falling asleep almost immediately.

At first Vela busied herself with routine ship tasks, checking various settings and gauges to be sure everything was running smoothly, but this only took an hour. She wasn’t about to get bored, however, not with the stars to be viewed from the main screen. It was hard to say she would ever get tired of the satisfaction she felt at actually being in space.

She caught herself thinking about Dritz soon enough. He had been good to her, and helped her out immensely, twice, in situations she might not have been able to handle on her own. A sudden urge to check on him arose, and she crept quietly into the bunk room to see if he was sleeping well.

It turned out she needn’t have used such caution, as the Chrysalan was fast asleep when she looked into the room. His mouth was open and he was making an odd noise she had never heard before, though his eyes were closed and he definitely didn’t react when she waved a hand in front of him. She decided it must simply be how his species slept. Noticing his state of undress made her retreat quickly, unsure if he was more private about his sleeping habits.

She went back to the navigation console and sat down again, resuming her watch on the stars until Dritz would awaken.

It was a good… well, when he looked at the clock and adjusted for the travel, he calculated fourteen hours, which he hoped was not right. Either way, it felt like he’d slept for an age. He staggered to his feet and groggily shuffled through to the flight deck, trying to rub his hair back into… whatever place it usually fell into.

[Sleep good. You sleep.] he signed once she was aware of his presence. He slumped into the other chair, rubbing his eyes, “I did not mean to sleep so long. If that happens again and you’re going without sleep, just come and kick me. I’m not one of those horrible morning people, so I won’t be grumpy.”

He stood, having remembered something, and fetched some fresh clothes from the bunk. He wouldn’t want to have to disturb Vela. “How has everything been, captain? Anything I should know?”

When Dritz appeared, Vela smiled again, though she was temporarily alarmed by the way he seemed to forget to put clothes back on even though there was no emergency this time. [Good. I will sleep], she signed back to him, standing after he had returned once more. She shook her head, making the sign for “good” again, indicating that everything was working well and there should be no problems.

With a few more instructions for keeping the ship on course, Vela left for the bunk room. She first glanced at Dritz’s bed before making it a second time, feeling a sense of purpose about the action now. In contrast to the Chrysalan, she left every piece of clothing on and enjoyed the feeling of actually not being cold as she fell asleep.

-

This time it was a few hours before she rose; Dritz had slept so long that she had grown more tired than originally expected. She did worry about how he was doing with the ship, so she hurried out to the deck without changing her wrinkled clothes. When she approached him, however, she suddenly grew very cautious, remembering what had happened last time. [Is everything alright?]

Dritz had spent the majority of his time gazing at the stars, once he was dressed and presentable again. The controls needed minimal adjustment, but he was sure to check the display regularly. He found himself contemplating what had happened on Hesperus Omega. The gilled men would surely not have been able to tell which ship belonged to Vela, so hopefully they would be unable to follow.

His antennae flicked as he heard Vela approach, and he turned to frown at her. He stood and, without a word, scooped her up over his shoulder. “Honestly, you cannot have slept for six hours over two days, Vela, it’s just not good for you,” he said simply, striding back towards the bunks.

Even though she knew Dritz was strong, having seen him carry her bags full of equipment effortlessly, it was not enough to prepare her for being physically lifted and carried without warning. It seemed his threat to take her back to bed had been one he was completely serious about.

[No], she tried to sign, unable to force the word out in her surprise, though the gesture was also lost as he could not see it. Instead she dug an elbow into his side, not too hard, but enough to make her displeasure known. It was a strange sensation to be moved about in this way, the blood rushing to her head and leaving her feeling too weak to kick her legs out.

Dritz escorted Vela into the bunks, setting her down gently and carefully, far softer than he had hoisted her up, apparently unphased by her jab in his side.

“There,” he said with a chuckle, “I told you that I had no problems carrying you back to bed. I’m sorry if I startled you. But… You work really hard, you should make sure you’re well rested.”

Vela gave Dritz a small but quite frustrated frown after he had set her on the bed, not knowing why he wouldn’t listen to her attempts to tell him otherwise. [I already slept enough. I’m fine now. The only reason I rushed back out without changing clothes was because I wanted to see how you were doing.]

[No.] Her gesture this time was emphatic, and for the moment she forgot to ask for the datapad to explain completely, waiting to see if he would understand.

Dritz cocked his head, unable to understand why Vela seemed so irritated by his actions. Well… He supposed it was quite brutish to have just slung her over his shoulder like that, but surely she knew he had meant it in good fun? He felt himself blushing slightly as he sat on his (neat, tidy) bunk.

“… [No?] Is something wrong?” he asked, feeling unusually awkward.

With another frustrated look, Vela pointed to the datapad, which Dritz had at his waist again. Once he had handed it over, she typed the following out for him: “I rested enough for me. Aurians only sleep two or three hours a day. We must have evolved into it somehow, maybe with the way we need to struggle to survive doing long periods of work.”

She handed the pad back but kept frowning, still a little irritated at having been carried. She decided she hadn’t enjoyed it at all.

Dritz handed over the datapad, somewhat alarmed by her behaviour. He read the explanation quickly, the realisation dawning on his face. His antennae flattened against his hair and he looked up at her, wide-eyed and apologetic.

“O-oh gosh… I see… You don’t… and then I…,” he slapped a hand to his forehead, dragging his palm over his face, and peeking out between his fingers. “I’m so sorry. What a complete slugbrain! You must think I’m the dumbest for not understanding last time!”

After a moment, Dritz’s shoulders began to tremble, and he started giggling, almost uncontrollably, “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe I actually did that…”

Giving the slightest shrug, Vela shook her head. She didn’t think he was “dumb” for not understanding, but thought it would probably seem strange to anyone not used to such a thing.

In turn, she couldn’t understand why he was laughing. She shook her head again, holding one hand up before gesturing, [It’s alright. Don’t do it again. At least not like that.] She wasn’t sure what made her add the last part. Maybe there were better ways to be picked up, though having that done still seemed… strange.

The Chrysalan watched Vela’s gestures carefully. Given her expressions, he was sure she was telling him he shouldn’t have done it, or to not do it again, or something similar. The gesture was definitely negative… but something about it was lenient at the end. He shrugged it off, thinking he must be mistaken.

“Yes, captain,” he said brightly, “It won’t happen again.” He gave her a sheepish grin and gestured to the door, “I uh, ought to check on the consoles since I left them. Do you-” his smile slowly grew more cheeky, “-want a lift back out there?”

Both eyebrows lowered now, Vela gave him a look which indicated she did not want any such thing. She motioned for him to go ahead, then changed into a new set of clothing once she was alone. This time she didn’t put on so many layers, opting for a simple (but still warm) dark tunic and leggings which would probably help her to move around easier. Life was different away from Aurctas, but she was still not used to it, and so it was difficult to let go of the many layers she wore in equal parts practicality and tradition.

She returned to the flight deck and looked at the consoles over Dritz’s shoulder, assuring herself they were still running well on course. Then she sat down in the other chair, finding herself smiling for some reason. She had decided she wanted to discover even more about her new companion.

[Where did you learn this?] She made a motion vaguely like juggling, which she had never seen anyone do before, and didn’t know a sign for it anyway. [Where?] she repeated, thinking the question was clear enough.

Dritz held up both hands, fingers splayed, and chuckled, making his exit a swift one.

He flopped down in the other seat, turning in it and draping his legs over the arm, beaming, “Oh, you mean my juggling?” He did the motion back at her, receiving a look of agreement. “Ah, well… I used to work the odd days in a fabrication warehouse when I was younger, to earn extra UCs. My job was molding metal sheets for public transport vehicles, but it’s such a long process that I would have large chunks of time where all I had to do was stand there and wait, sometimes for half an hour or more at a time while the machine worked. I’ve seen street performers, dunno which planet they were from, but I saw them do it in videos, and I always thought it looked like a fun sort of pastime activity. So I started taking these little rubber balls, I think they belonged to Tvie (she’s one of my sisters), and trying to do it how they did. I accidently threw one into the machine once. Melted everywhere. Got me in some trouble, but I certainly didn’t let it happen again!” He laughed, kicking his legs lazily.

“Maybe I could teach you sometime? In exchange for teaching me Aurian?” he offered.

Vela listened to Dritz’s story, nodding along in understanding. She did understand most of it, though some of the words were unfamiliar. Even if she had done much learning with her research while still on Aurctas and even since leaving, she could not help but think there was much more to learn, and talking to Dritz would only help.

When it came to his offer of teaching her how to juggle, however, her eye widened and she shook her head in a slight amount of alarm. There was simply no way she could imagine doing such a thing successfully. It was something she thought only those who had seen much of it before, and came from another planet, could do. [I couldn’t. You don’t need to give me anything in exchange for teaching you. But I like to watch you do it.]

“No? It’s pretty easy when you get the hang of it, I think you could do it. If you ever do want me to teach you, I’ll be happy to,” Dritz said cheerily. Vela’s expression of surprise had given him pause, though, he had to be honest with himself. It had been so… Endearing. As though any guard she kept up had been completely removed. It hadn’t escaped his notice either that she was not so bundled up in all her layers, and his thoughts about her being of small frame had been correct.

“Hey, can I ask you some things?” he said, his tone very nearly approaching shyness. “I mean, if that’s okay. You can ask me more too, of course.”

[I’ll think about it.] Just in case he didn’t understand, she also signed, [Maybe.] She had definitely taught him that word.

She leaned back slightly and considered his request to ask about her. He seemed to be a little shy about it, as if they might be more personal questions. Though she wasn’t entirely sure if she would be up to answering, she thought she might be able to try.

Nodding, she began to gesture. [Yes. Questions. Trade?] Her idea was that they could take turns asking each other, and hopefully trade off questions. If they would be staying together even longer than just to repair the ship, it would be better to get to know each other more fully.

Dritz beamed. [Trade good.] “Yay! Alright, I wasn’t gunna ask right away, but I can’t keep it in any more. If you don’t wanna answer, then that’s okay, but…” he gestured to her, “Your eye… what happened? I’ve only ever seen those sorts of devices used as prosthetics after accidents, and never one like that.”

He waited with a smile, “Oh, and… I know this is cheating, since it’s also technically a question, and it’s not my turn to ask again yet, but do you want another tea?”

At the mention of her special eye, Vela nodded slowly. It was a question she had expected sooner or later, but there would be no explaining it to Dritz through sign language alone, yet. Once she had gotten the datapad from him again, she began to type her story carefully.

“Nothing happened, really. Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by the stars, and space. Some would call it an obsession instead. I wanted to see them closer. The procedure was very complicated, but the entire thing was written in a book from our ancient days on our first planet. We were very advanced then. My friend did it for me, replacing my eye with a telescopic device that still allows me to see from it, but only when using it to view objects at great distances. They were always very good at details, and somehow managed to get it all to work.” She chose not to mention how it wasn’t perfect, how there were occasional headaches and a ringing in her ears. Dritz wouldn’t need to know that unless it inconvenienced her.

She smiled faintly as she typed, feeling a little sad. “My friend was so talented. But they would say I wasted a perfectly good, real eye just so I could look at some ‘rocks in space.’ It was always a joke, though. I would like some tea, yes. Hot drinks are my favorite.” She handed the pad back, signing, [Thank you.]

Dritz’s eyes flicked across the datapad, visibly intrigued by her story. He grimaced and looked up, “You volunteered your own eye? I mean, it’s really cool that you can see far, and it looks amazing, but… wow. You must be the toughest. I’m impressed.”

The Chrysalan had paled just a touch, but was still smiling, “I couldn’t do anything like that. I’m a bit… let’s say 'easily nauseated’, but I guess you must have gathered that from earlier. The insides of engines, with rust or oil or dirt are all fine, anything grubby isn’t a bother, but for some reason the insides of living things… Argh. Anyway, it’s your turn. Have a think of whatever you want to ask while I make us some tea.”

As he stood, he added, “But hey, we have that in common; hot drinks are my favourite too.”

Suddenly feeling a little concerned, Vela listened to how Dritz felt about what tended to make him squeamish. She understood the concept, but nothing bothered her like that, personally. What if just looking at her, and at her mechanical eye, made him feel ill too? Especially now that he knew the story behind it?

She nodded, but kept her head down so that he didn’t have to see her face fully as he stood to fetch the tea. She tried focusing on what she might ask him next, telling herself he did not have to look at her if he didn’t want to. The thought of him enjoying hot drinks as much as she did helped a little as well.

Dritz was only a few minutes preparing their drinks, making sure to leave Vela’s so that she could put the tea in herself, thinking she seemed to really enjoy the visual last time. He smiled as he recalled how she stared at it, moving closer to the bowl. She was cute, there was no denying that he thought so.

As he made his way back through, he spotted her with her head down, and frowned, “You okay? You’re not feeling ill, are you?” He set his own tea down and moved to crouch in front of her so that he could see her properly. Lifting his hand and placing it to her forehead, he smiled, “You seem okay, but… I don’t actually know why people do this. Nor do I know your average temperature. Stupid thing to do, really. Anyway, are you okay?”

When Dritz came back he seemed concerned about her, and Vela was actually able to relax a little. The way he looked up into her face and even touched her forehead made her think she had been mistaken about what he thought of her eye. If he really was disturbed by her, he shouldn’t be able to do that.

She gave him a faint smile, nodding to show she was alright. For now she wouldn’t think about it, but maybe she would ask him someday. She chose to focus on the tea he handed her instead, pleased to be able to do it herself again and watch the flower unfold. This time she didn’t move closer to it, but couldn’t stop a second look of amazement from crossing her face. It was almost too beautiful to be believed.

When she was finally able to stop looking at it, she set it aside to cool a bit while she typed out her next question for Dritz. “Do you have many friends on Chrysala?” After mentioning Lare, though not by name, she had started thinking about the subject of friends in general. She was also thinking about the loneliness of her last few years on Aurctas, but that was somewhat beside the point.

His concerns gone for the moment, he moved back to his seat, unable to keep from watching Vela as she made her tea and watched it with a look of wonder on her face. He did his best to fight the smile that came over his face, his eyes darting away when she looked up.

“Hm… I guess I have a couple, but none I’d say were close. I worked with a lot of nice people, who I sometimes spent time with, but mostly my time spent with others was occupied by my family. I like to try and make friends with everyone though,” he chortled, sipping his tea and resting his head against the chair.

“My turn, right? Hmmm… Do you speak Basic? Like… if you wanted to, could you? I know you’ve spoken to me a couple of times. I’m just curious. Do you know any other languages?” he asked brightly.

Dritz didn’t seem upset to admit to not having close friends. Vela imagined that, with such a large family as he had hinted at, his family relationships took up a lot of time and were probably fulfilling. While she couldn’t imagine that sort of life, it seemed it had been good to him.

His next question made her pause before she nodded, then shook her head as though undecided on the answer. She used the pad to type, “I can speak a little, but it’s a lot of effort. It’s hard to make some of the sounds, but I’ve listened to a lot of voice recordings. Only Basic, for now. If I ever learn to speak that out loud, maybe I will try to learn more languages.” Taking a deep breath, she then said aloud: “Prac… tice.” She made the gesture for it at the same time so Dritz could learn, but then sat back in her chair to sip at her tea. That had been a word she struggled to say, and it actually did seem to take something out of her.

She decided to ask Dritz a question based on his last. “Do you mind that I can’t speak out loud?” she typed. “I’ve seen how much many races like to talk to each other. Isn’t it too quiet, not the same, if I can’t speak to you out loud?”

As always, Vela sharing her voice with him made Dritz feel quite honoured. He beamed and clapped a couple of times to hear her speak. “You do really well, you should be pleased. I suppose it must be exhausting for someone who has never spoken… It’s weird how those of us who do speak as a language take it for granted,” he said.

He accepted the datapad once more, reading her question as he sipped his own tea. Immediately, he shook his head. “Not at all. It confused me when we first met, but now that I know properly and can begin to communicate with you respectfully, I really like your language, I’ll be pleased when I can speak to you properly in it.” With careful movements and an eager grin, he signed [Me practice]. “Heh, actually, how weird is this; while you were asleep before, I was lonely, and I thought the ship seemed quiet without you there. Quiet! Ha, I guess I must have felt your absence, y'know?”

Vela listened with the smallest smile, touched that he would “miss” her in such a way, and that he had such respect for her language and didn’t even mind she had a hard time speaking aloud yet. She couldn’t help the sudden thought that maybe she and Dritz could become close friends.

[Thank you. Yes, practice.] It wasn’t her turn to ask another question, but before she could stop herself she had retrieved the datapad again. “Do you have someone at home then? A mate you will return to?” He had told her previously he had left partly to avoid the responsibility of continuing his family, but she could not fully understand that. To Aurians, procreation was incredibly important, as it ensured the continuation of their dwindling race. However, she suddenly realized it might be different for Chrysalans. Maybe they didn’t even call their partners “mates?” Was the question inappropriate?

Suddenly she began to feel embarrassed, but it was too late already, because Dritz had begun reading the datapad.

It took Dritz several moments of rereading to determine the meaning of the question. No matter how many times he tried, he could not shake the idea that it felt vaguely flirtatious to him, though he was completely sure that was not the case. He wasn’t delusional, after all.

Still, he wouldn’t pass up a chance to play with her a bit.

“Why?” he said with what he hoped was an alluring smile, “Are you interested?”

Frozen temporarily, Vela stared at Dritz with her eye wide. What did he mean by that? Was it something Chrysalans did when asked if they had a mate? Had he gotten the wrong idea?

Eventually she was able to move, ducking her head again while she shook it quickly. “I was curious. I mean no offense. I’m not sure if we are compatible, being of different species.” She handed the pad back while keeping her head down, now completely embarrassed over the situation. At the same time, something about the response she had given made her feel a sense of disappointment. She told herself it was just because she didn’t know if becoming mates with someone so different was acceptable or not, and had not considered that when she left her planet.

Dritz laughed for a good few minutes, shaking his head, “You silly, I was just playing with you. Bad joke, really, considering. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Ahem. No, I, uh, I’m not involved with anyone at all. My family would like me to take partners now that I’m an adult, and while I would love to have someone to go back to and cuddle up with, I’ve no one. No interest in anyone on Chrysala either.” He shrugged, smiling still, despite being somewhat disappointed. They had not even known each other a week and Vela had already nearly deemed them incompatible. Shame, really. Still almost worth it for her embarrassed face, which was just lovely.

“Hey, I’m not offended either, so don’t worry.” He signed, [Everything is good.] with that same wide grin.

Finally looking up, Vela tilted her head as she considered Dritz’s words. If it had only been a joke, then… Her reaction really had been somewhat silly. She wanted to ask if Chrysalans took multiple mates, based on what he had said, but for now she didn’t feel like carrying on what had become an awkward conversation to her.

[I understand.] She would ask him more later, if she became comfortable with doing so. “I’m sure you don’t know everyone on Chrysala,” she typed for him. “You are very nice, someone would be lucky to have you as a mate. Do you have any more questions?” It didn’t seem like enough to just call Dritz “nice,” but she also didn’t know what other words to use just then.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Dritz’s mouth as he took back the datapad and read her reply. Despite the unease there seemed to be, he found her words incredibly touching.

“Aw, that’s really sweet, Vela. Thank you. I’m sure there are plenty of lovely folk on Chrysala, but of the ones I met… Nah. Nice people, just not the sort I would want to… well, anything with. Plus, you’re lucky enough not to know this yet, but I don’t imagine I’m that much fun to be around for long periods of time. Or maybe too much fun.” He laughed heartily, obviously not serious.

He stood to take his cup back to the little kitchen, holding out a hand, “Not for the moment, but I might just spring a question on you sometime. You done with your tea? I can go and put the stuff away.”

Vela handed him the cup, having already drained the tea within and leaving the flower untouched as previously instructed. It was a little sad to think of it going into the waste disposal, even if it technically couldn’t be used for anything. She tucked an idea away in the back of her mind regarding this, having to admit it was also silly.

While Dritz was gone, she considered what he had told her. Maybe he really hadn’t met the right ones while on Chrysala yet, and if they visited there together, he might meet someone new. Abruptly she pushed that thought aside, not knowing why. She couldn’t imagine someone getting irritated with him, either. He was always saying or doing something, and she found him interesting and entertaining.

The navigation console’s beeping cut into her musing, making her jump up to look at it in alarm. The radar system was old and the screen wasn’t as elaborate as anything close to the latest technology, but it still plainly showed they were about to fly through an asteroid field. The auto-detection system hadn’t been upgraded yet either, but she thought they would make it through, as it wasn’t a large field.

The floor seemed to sway as the ship veered right in a sharp curve, and Vela grabbed ahold of the console to steady herself. She might think they would make it, but it wouldn’t exactly be a smooth ride.

Dritz had rinsed and put away the cups, thinking happily about what he and Vela might do next. Of course, they would need to get the parts installed and updated, and he thought he might source some video comms before they set off again too. Would they leave completely, off somewhere completely different, or would Vela want them to have a permanent base on the station, somewhere they could come back to after each outing? Where would she want to go? He was actually incredibly open. She was the captain, after all, he was happy to follow her so long as she was happy to have him.

Suddenly, his reverie was broken by the ship lurching to one side. He staggered into the work surface, clutching it and looking around.

“Vela, you okay?” he shouted, carefully holding the walls and making his way back out to the flight deck. From the doorframe to Vela there was nothing to hold to steady himself, so he held both arms out and made his way slowly, anticipating another tremor, “What’s happening?”

Vela turned to look at Dritz when he called to her, hoping he could see she was alright without needing to let go of the console and sign it. She pointed to the radar display and desperately wished she could use her voice just then to tell him about the asteroid field instead of him needing to come all the way over, without a handhold.

The ship was shaking minimally by the time he had almost reached her, so she felt confident enough to lift her hands and sign that she was okay. Naturally that was when an even more violent shock jolted the ship forward, in a way which she suspected meant they had actually bounced off one of the smaller asteroids. At least, she had half a second to think that before she realized she was falling directly at Dritz.

It all happened quite suddenly. Dritz was reading the display, looking concerned, contemplating the best way for them to survive the asteroid field (did the Nova have shields?), then he was almost next to her, just to double check she was okay and help out if it was needed. Another tremor went through the ship and he was knocked from his feet.

Normally he liked to think his balance was actually quite good, but the hit had been unexpected and he had been preoccupied with Vela, and the radar, and almost before he realised it, he was lying in his back, where he would have been looking up at the ceiling, were it not for an obstruction that was so light, it took him a moment to understand.

Vela had definitely fallen from the impact, but it took some time for her to realize that. The way it had moved her head was unfortunate. She felt confused, vaguely knowing it was the fault of her special eye and the problems that had come along with it.

Her ears were ringing in a way that made it difficult to focus. She tried to stir herself but couldn’t move that much, only noticing that her impact on the floor had not been as hard as she expected. Had Dritz caught her? The ship had mercifully stopped shaking, so maybe they were through the field.

“Dritz…?” she tried to speak aloud, the sound somewhat raspy.

When he heard her soft voice close to him, Dritz realised what had happened. The weight that had followed him down had been poor Vela. He held her shoulders gently.

“I’m here, you okay? Don’t try to move yet, just in case we get hit again,” he said quietly. He wanted to laugh at the situation, on his back in the middle of the flight deck with Vela sprawled on top, but the Aurian seemed somewhat distressed, “You aren’t hurt, are you?”

With some effort, Vela managed to shake her head. She didn’t think she was hurt, but the way her ears were ringing, the way her head swam when she moved… She soon stopped trying to move her head at all. Instead she shifted her body, then fully realized that she was laying on Dritz.

She froze a second time. It was just an accident, but she was afraid to move in a way that would hurt him, or otherwise give him the wrong idea. At the same time, he was warm, and the fabric of his jacket was soft. He felt soft, but Vela didn’t suppose that was something she should be thinking about.

Still afraid to move, in the end, she rested her head down against Dritz’s chest. It was only to still her dizziness, of course, and there was no way to indicate to him what was wrong for now anyway.

A small giggle escaped Dritz as Vela moved, something he couldn’t help, and was almost horrified to hear slip out. Something was not right with his companion at all, and while she had shook her head to indicate there was nothing wrong, she definitely did not seem well.

As she rested her head on his chest (a gesture that he really should not have enjoyed that much), he couldn’t help but put an arm around her, loosely. “You’re okay,” he said softly. “Take your time, let me know if you need a hand up.”

Vela didn’t really notice anything until Dritz put his arm around her and spoke to her again. She had begun to feel better, but stayed where she was a few minutes longer, just enjoying the feeling of warmth and being close to someone. How long had it been? She found she couldn’t remember.

Eventually she tried to pull herself up with caution, trying not to disturb Dritz too much, but once she was on the floor she accepted his help to come to her feet. The radar screen indicated they had indeed left the asteroid field behind. Still a bit shaky, she sat down at the console and picked up the datapad from where it had landed (thankfully, undamaged.) Dritz would want an explanation.

“I’m sorry. I should have kept a closer watch on our course. The detection system is not very good. Sometimes when my head gets moved too fast, I get dizzy and my ears ring loudly. I admit they are always ringing a little. My eye operation wasn’t as perfect as I might have made it seem.” She handed the pad to him, feeling terrible about the situation. He had probably really not liked her landing on him that way.

Eventually, having helped Vela up only when she allowed it or seemed to need it, he found he had to move somewhat slower himself. Really, he’d have been content to lie there a little longer, but… maybe that would be weird. It would definitely be weird. Wouldn’t it?

She explained via the datapad what had actually been wrong, causing Dritz to frown, “Really? You’re alright now, aren’t you?” He immediately seemed to be checking her over, crouching in front of her chair once more, “Do you need water? Maybe you should lie down properly for a while. I can look after the Nova now that she’s stopped barging into floating rocks.” He grinned at her, “Just lemme know if you need to use me as a mattress again.”

[I’m alright.] Vela watched as Dritz looked her over, smiling faintly. So far, if even something small went wrong, he had been so attentive and helpful. [I’ll rest just in case.]

Something about his last statement made her smile widen, but she turned her face to hide it. The idea was a strange one. It wasn’t like she hated the experience herself, however. She thought she would remember it for later.

[Thank you.] Vela stood to head toward the bunks, just to make sure she would recover by laying down for a while. Before she left, she touched Dritz’s arm in a gesture of gratitude, leaving it there just a little longer than she had originally intended.

Without thinking, Dritz put his hand over Vela’s. “Take all the time you need. I’ll keep an eye on the display and I’ll grab you if needs be.” He offered her a quick, friendly wink, watching her go.

He settled in the seat where she had been before, relishing the warmth she had left there, finding his mind wandering back to how pleasant it had been to have her so close. When did he start feeling that way? He couldn’t recall when he had first thought to himself that she was pretty. Perhaps it had been when Prince Fera had been rude to her, or even earlier. Either way, that was his opinion of her now. She was pretty, sweet and fascinating, and he enjoyed her company.

He watched the displays idly, content to sit quietly for the moment with his thoughts.


	11. Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning to Hesperus Alpha, Dritz and Vela start repairing the Nova, do a little shopping, and visit a holographic garden.

The next few days they spent together, compared to the first few, were quite a bit less eventful. Upon their return to Hesperus Alpha, they had to settle back into their respective rooms on the station, but Vela found she missed the closeness of living on a ship with someone else. It had been a comfortable feeling, but it wasn’t like she didn’t see him every day as they worked on the ship. He was beginning to learn more of her sign language, even though his repetition of it could be clumsy at times.

Vela helped where she could, though Dritz was obviously handling most of the details. Today she was only watching and handing him some tools when he asked for them, as he was laying halfway inside the engine while installing some of the more delicate parts. A lot of the ship had been improved so far, but there would still be enough to last another few days, or so Dritz said.

Handing the Chrysalan a tiny set of pliers (which she had no idea how he managed to work with, as they were so small), she wiped some sweat from her forehead with the back of her other hand. The temperature regulator had been shut down while other upgrades were being performed, and as much as she usually enjoyed the feeling of being warm, the work Dritz was doing had heated the air to the point of uncomfortableness for Vela in her dark, bulky clothes.

Dritz had never had an assistant of any kind, having always either been the assistant himself, or worked alone, so having Vela near him while he worked was a delight. When they parted of an evening to go back to their rooms, he would practice his Aurian, going over the motions until he thought it was correct, and then he would attempt to use as much as possible the next day. Vela was kind enough to give him a little shake of her head and correct his gesture when he went wrong, her small near-smile in place every time.

As he worked, he found he liked to chatter to her, even though he often couldn’t see if she was replying, or even listening for that matter (he didn’t imagine she would ignore him, though).

“… Which, really and truly, if you’re gunna do it, you really ought to use copper connections, but that’s just- hang on- that’s just my opinion, I know some other engineers who swear up and down that copper is not the way to go,” he was rambling. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her shifting (well, what he could see of her). He wriggled out of the engine, grubby and sweaty but with his familiar grin, “You okay?”

Though she didn’t know what Dritz was talking about a lot of times while he worked, as it tended to do with engineering which she wasn’t familiar with, Vela remained attentive. Sometimes she was able to learn little facts, but usually she was just listening to his voice as he rambled, having begun to take some sort of comfort from it. It was a constant to her, when not much had been constant for a long time. And it helped her forget her worries over the men who might even still be trying to find them.

She made an uncertain gesture about the use of copper, not knowing either way, as Dritz reemerged from the engine. She had to smile in amusement at how hot and dirty he looked while still seeming so happy. The older parts had been coated in layers of dust and other debris, and of course there had been no way to clean them.

[Yes. Hot. But fine.] A trickle of sweat along the side of her face illustrated her statement. She made a gesture to show that it was bearable. There wasn’t much of a way to translate it. [Do you need anything else?]

The heat had clearly begun to get to Vela, as her usually pale skin was just barely flushed and dewy with it. His smile became a softer one as he stretched out.

[Finish now], he signed, “I think it’s about time we get out of this temperature. You’d think being from Chrysala would prepare you, but the heat is different. It’s weird. Anyway, we’ve worked pretty solidly, what say we take a decent break?”

He glanced at her heavy, layered clothing, “Maybe you ought to look for something lighter to wear. I get the feeling few places will be as cold as Aurctas.” He winked at her again, forgetting it meant nothing to her.

“Perhaps we could go and get you some on the way? On the way to what, you wonder? I have a surprise. As a thank you for working with me the last few days.”

Vela could agree on the decision to stop for now and get off the ship. The thought of buying new clothes did give her pause, however. It was not something she had contemplated before. She made a noncommittal gesture, even thinking how nice it would be to be cooler. It was a difficult concept to think that she wanted to lower her temperature.

The idea of a surprise did intrigue her, and she stared at him in curiosity for a little while before finally nodding. She didn’t need any sort of thanks for helping him, but wanted to know what it was all about. She followed him off the ship before stopping him from walking off by tugging at the back of his jacket.

[Clothes. But clean first.] She had begun using this simplified form of “speaking” for now, as it did help him understand better. Indicating how dirty he had gotten from the engine, she thought it best he at least clean up a little before they left.

Dritz, seemingly just noticing how grubby his clothes were for the first time, chuckled and nodded, “Ah, yeah, this isn’t really very… acceptable, is it? Still, the Nova is far cleaner than Pap was. He got really oily! I had to wear my gloves all the time.”

He gestured for them to leave the ship, and they walked back to their rooms, Dritz idly chatting about the repairs until they arrived, “So, do you want me to come and get you from your room, or… do you want to come in and wait? I’ll just have a quick wash and change, I won’t be long, then we can find this surprise.”

Vela thought over the options for a moment, but in the end her curiosity won. [I can really come in?] Dritz didn’t seem to want to change his mind, so she followed him into his room.

They had never seen each other’s rooms before. Vela supposed it wouldn’t have been appropriate, but he had invited her. She found herself looking around at everything with interest, knowing that personal items could sometimes tell more about an individual than one might think. The bed was unmade, and Vela found herself smiling for some reason, turning back to him with both eyebrows lifted.

Dritz looked from Vela to the bed and gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging exaggeratedly, “So… Um, I forgot to make my bed this morning?”

He glanced around, quickly removing some of his clothes from where he had draped them over the chair so that she could sit down, his face flushing slightly when he came to bunch up a pair of underwear and quickly throw it in the bag he kept for laundry.

“I’ll just be a couple of minutes,” he said, tugging his shirt off and dashing into the bathroom. There was the sound of running water from the shower, but true to his word, Dritz emerged clean, with damp hair sticking out in all directions and a fresh, equally colourful outfit.

“Sorry, I’m ready now! I hope you weren’t bored?”

Continuing to smile, Vela listened to the water start running in the shower as she sat in the chair Dritz had cleared for her. Her gaze landed on the bed again, and before she knew it, she had stood to begin making it. She knew he could do it himself, and it wasn’t as though she was about to begin cleaning up everything else for him, but something about the act of making the bed brought her a strange sense of peace.

When Dritz reappeared looking much cleaner than before, she shook her head to show she hadn’t been bored at all. In fact, she had spent the whole time wondering what the surprise was, hardly noticing the time as it passed.

As planned, however, they took a leisurely walk around and down to the fifth ring, quickly finding a large section of shops that sold clothing. Now Vela was mildly flustered, not knowing what to look for. She had never shopped for clothes, and had in fact always made her own before. She didn’t even know what her sizing was. Maybe Dritz would know where to go and what to do.

The fifth ring was less busy than usual, with the two of them having worked for most of the day, but was still enough that Dritz wanted to make sure he could keep an eye on Vela.

He expertly led her into one of the shops selling fashionable, but well-priced basics.

“What colours do you like? I thiiink,” he squinted at her, holding his hands up in a frame around her, “I think greys and purples would look nice. Or blue. Do you have a favourite?”

Thinking about it, Vela couldn’t imagine that she did have a favorite color. The fabrics she had traded for on Aurctas were all heavy, rough, and dark. Most of the rest of her world there had been white. At the least, she might try something different.

Though she shook her head at blue, purple and grey sounded alright. She very hesitantly approached the racks of clothing, hardly daring to touch each piece as she looked them over. Without realizing, she was still gravitating mostly toward heavier clothing, with long sleeves and high necks. Dritz was watching her, and she glanced toward him as he seemed about to intervene.

Dritz wagged his finger at her, shaking his head, “If you’re warm in your current clothing, buying more heavy stuff isn’t going to help.”

With a chuckle, he bounded over to some lighter, looser things and pulled out a lilac coloured vest. It had a higher neck with a long, uneven hemline that was quite fashionable on the station, but he was not sure how Vela would feel about showing her arms completely.

“This would suit you,” he said. “Do you like it?”

Vela studied the clothing Dritz had selected, slowly tilting her head. The color was alright, but the style… She had never seen a garment which lacked sleeves before. She couldn’t help but think about how cold she might become.

While she was debating, a clerk swept over and asked if they would be trying on the vest. Vela agreed to it, since Dritz seemed enthusiastic. She was shown to a small room behind a curtain at the back of the shop, where with some effort she figured out how to actually put it on. The mirror showed how pale she was, to her, especially with her arms bare. The vest fastened up the front, and fit over the leggings she was already wearing, but it still clung to her shape more than anything else she owned.

With Dritz’s encouragement, she hesitantly stepped out to show him.

Between Dritz and the clerk, poor Vela had almost no choice in trying on the vest. He just knew it would look cute on her, and was eager to see if how he was picturing it was correct. While he waited, he absently browsed the rest of the shop, making sure to hover near to the changing room so that he could be on hand. As he looked, shrugging on a gloriously pearlescent, buckled jacket and a large, floppy hat, he spoke loudly to Vela.

“How are you doing in there? C'mon, I wanna see,” he called, throwing on a neon pink and yellow scarf and standing directly in front of the changing room door, posing exaggeratedly in anticipation for her coming out.

When she finally agreed to, however, his over-the-top pout gave way to a gawp as he looked her over.

“You look great,” he said, his voice quiet but entirely genuine. “That colour almost matches your left eye. What do you think?”

Vela kept her gaze fixed on the floor until Dritz spoke. He sounded appreciative, and she looked up, her little smile slipping into almost a smirk to see what he had done with himself.

[Good], she signed in reply to her thoughts on the vest. It was odd to her, but he liked it, and she thought it would become more familiar in time. [What about yours? You don’t match.] It was unlikely he understood all of this, and she quickly slipped away to pay for her new clothing in order to hide a sudden urge to laugh at how silly he was.

Dritz made no move to disrobe yet, following behind her and gathering up various accessories (including a fanciful choker, leather gloves, and another scarf in a clashing colour), each more ridiculous than the last (and growing warmer by the second), and putting them on with a beam.

“You don’t think this suits me?” he asked, having only really caught that she was commenting on his appearance. “I think I ought to dress this way all the time. Very alluring. Not so sexy covered in engine oil or whathaveyou, though.”

He admired her once more, his smile softening, “It really does look nice.”

Vela was paying for the vest by using her ID card in a scanner the clerk had provided. Both of them raised an eyebrow at the Chrysalan, though the clerk looked notably more annoyed.

Once they had left, she turned to face Dritz, holding her old tunic over her arm. She thought she might as well try to get used to wearing the new clothes. [No. Less. Better.] Knowing he wouldn’t understand her if she tried to tell him he looked nice the way he normally did, she signed, [thank you] instead, feeling a bit flushed when he looked at her like that, even if she didn’t know why.

She waited patiently for him to put the items back, glancing around and thinking she might return sometime to look again. [Surprise?] She found herself too eager to wait much longer for whatever it was Dritz had to show her.

With a final side-eye from the store clerk, Dritz made sure to put everything back as neatly as possible, exactly where it should be. Once he was done, they were ready to leave. Not usually one for shyness or being flattered, Dritz was somewhat taken aback by Vela’s signing, once he took a second to work out what she meant. With an amused, joking tone that was betrayed by his gently wavering, flattened antennae, he said, “Oh… that’s… well, thank you. I don’t think anyone’s ever complimented my appearance.”

He held out his arms with a grin as they strolled out onto the main thoroughfare (where he could swear a pair of Illithian ladies began twitching their tentacles in approval at Vela, evidently giving her a flirtatious eye), “I’ll carry that for you, if you like. Save it making you warm again?”

He led her through the streets towards the nearest air tunnel, and back up to the second ring, all while purposefully not acknowledging that there would be a surprise, continuing his light chit-chat, chuckling about the grumpy clerk.

“They’re just mad because I didn’t buy anything, even though I bought a shirt from there just the other week,” he said. After a second, he held up her old tunic and asked, somewhat shyly, “You trust me, right? About this surprise… it’ll be better if you’re blindfolded. I promise.”

Accepting Dritz’s offer to hold her tunic, Vela enjoyed listening to him chatter as they walked their way back through the shops. Every now and then she would add a small gesture of agreement or interest, worrying less than she used to that he found her boring for being unable to add her voice to the conversation. Dritz liked her company as it was, and that made her happy.

She took little note of what they passed by, though Dritz was looking around. Mainly she was focused on where they were headed, which seemed to be somewhere on the second ring. She knew it as the medical area, not having taken much further interest in it after that.

When he suggested blindfolding her for the surprise, she only considered a few moments. [I trust you.] Whatever it was, it must truly be exciting. She closed her normal eye, waiting for Dritz to continue.

The Chrysalan smiled, using the sleeves of Vela’s tunic to blindfold her. The fabric was so heavy that he needed to either hold it in place or tie it very tight. Not wishing to cause her any discomfort, he elected to hold it in place, stepping behind her and tucking it around her head, talking her through what he was doing at the same time.

“Just stepping behind you here, ‘cuz I don’t want to hurt your eyes by tying this up,” he said quietly. He urged her to walk forward, steering her around corners and up some shallow steps, talking her through each stair. Somewhere northeast of them there was running water that could be heard.

“Okay, this is it,” he said excitedly.

He carefully removed the tunic blindfold to reveal the Second Ring’s holographic gardens. The setting theme for the month was an Earth spring, so the flowers were bright and blooming, the birds singing harmoniously and the artificial sunlight warm and gentle. As they entered, the were flanked by tall yellow and purple flowers and bright green, fluffy shrubs arranged attractively. Further ahead was a bubbling water fountain.

“Surprise!” Dritz chirped.

Vela was somewhat surprised at what a nice, close feeling it was to be unable to see but guided gently, trusting in someone and not being disappointed. Dritz was very gentle and guided her well, and she did not falter or trip even once.

She hadn’t suspected anything, especially as the sound of running water was unknown to her. What she saw when Dritz took away the tunic left her standing and staring in complete wonder at the sight before her. It was almost beyond comprehension. She knew there were plants, and what she assumed were flowers based on the tea flowers she had now seen. But there were so many different colors and shapes, and so many other unfamiliar sights and sounds.

Unable to stop herself, she reached down and tried to touch one of the little shrubs. Her hand passed straight through it and she jerked away, startled. [What is it?] she signed to Dritz, indicating the room as a whole. It must not be real, though it looked real.

Dritz skipped out into a clearing and gestured widely, visibly excited, “This, my friend, is Hesperus Alpha’s very own holographic gardens, currently displaying a typical Earth springtime. Sadly, the only sensation lacking here is touch (well, that and taste, but that’d be weird), but the sights, sounds and smells are all accurate to the place replicated.”

He bounded forward again and took her hands, “Come look at all the flowers I don’t know the names of! I know you’ll like them. We could even make up names for them.”

He led her down the paths, passing all manner of beautifully arranged flowers in sunset colours, sky blues, blushing pinks and delicate purples, with Dritz giving the odd one silly names (“look at this… This should be a Bunchy Puff. Oh, and this is definitely a Droopy Sleeper”). He stopped by the purple and white flowers. He waved a hand through a hologram of a cluster of dainty white flowers sharing the same stem and said, “This one is a Vela, I think.”

Still in a state of absolute wonder, Vela allowed Dritz to take her along the paths of what he had called a “garden.” Of course she had never heard or so much as dreamed of something like this existing, a place where so many plants were arranged in pleasing ways, many of the flowers in colors she had rarely seen before. Dritz made her smile with the silly names he gave some of them, and she actually thought she would remember them better than their real names, when she learned them.

Her smile turned fond when he named the small white flowers after her. She stooped to run her fingers through them as well, even if they passed straight through, then stayed near them as she signed to Dritz.

[Thank you. It’s too bad they’re not real. I guess that would be a lot to take care of. Why does this exist? What is the purpose of it? Do you have them on Chrysala?] She waited for his answers after further clarifying the parts of her gestures that he didn’t understand.

Of course, the whole experience would have been more wonderful if the plants had been real, but Dritz was not too worried. He would soon find the right plants to gift to Vela; ones for the ship and her own room on the station. He wondered idly if he would find some of the Vela flowers he had pointed out, currently wavering in a simulated breeze.

“This…? As in the gardens?” He shrugged, “I guess the station is mostly frequented by humans, and those of us who thrive with vegetation around us. The station can seem unnatural, all metals and plastic everywhere, so I suppose it’s nice to have somewhere to go that is, well, as natural as they can make it here. I read once that humans in particular can become depressed or lethargic, or something like that, without nature around the- Oh gosh, look over there!” Dritz suddenly stopped, grabbing Vela and directing her to where a small, furred creature with a large, fluffy tail was sprinting up a tree. “I forgot that they have animals here too. I don’t know what that one is, though.” He grinned to himself, watching the thing bouncing from branch to branch, easily scaling the tree.

He turned back to her, “Where was I? Oh, Chrysala… nah, we don’t have anything like this. Um, hence why… I got so excited about that furry thingy over there that I’m just gunna call a tree hopper. I guess 'cuz we have our own farmland, with its own plantlife…”

Vela listened carefully to Dritz’s explanation and nodded along. Naturally she had no idea how it would feel to be away from a wonderful place such as this simulation represented, but she imagined it would be terrible to miss it.

At first she was startled as he grabbed her and pointed out the animal, but she was soon smiling and staring at the tree hopper too. She wondered if they could be kept, as she thought touching the fluffy tail would be nice. It disappeared from sight, and they continued wandering, in the direction of the simulated fountain.

Vela had to look at this for what felt long like a long time as well. The concept of water running, be it in a fountain or an unfrozen lake or river, was quite unfamiliar to her. [I want to see how it looks on Chrysala], she signed to him, though she wasn’t sure he understood all of it.

A group of shrubs near the fountain caught her attention and she pointed them out to Dritz. The flowers on it were colored both bright red and purple. “Dritz,” she managed to say with a smile, indicating this was the flower to name after him.

Leading Vela around the gardens was something Dritz never expected to enjoy so much, but her bright eye glancing around at everything there was to see, and how pleased she seemed to be there, was such a wonderful thing to him.

“Hm?” Dritz could understand the sign for his homeworld, but not the context. Nevertheless, he wanted to answer what he thought the question might be, “We have quite a lot of water on Chrysala, it’s a generally… Damp planet.” He chortled to himself.

He leaned over the fountain and dipped a hand into the holographic water, pulling it out dry, and finding that to be one of the most disappointing sensations of the whole place.

What the Aurian did next, however, made up for any disappointment he felt. He looked the flowers over with a big, goofy grin.

“Ha, my flowers are pretty colourful,” he said, nodding his approval. “Thank you, I’m actually quite honoured to have my own flower.”

Not really thinking much over it before doing so, he threw an arm around Vela and gave her a brief squeeze, smiling all the while.

Vela relaxed into the half-hug, once again enjoying the feeling of warmth and of Dritz being near her. She had never felt so mellow and content before, she was certain of that.

Once Dritz had released her, she started signing to him. [Thank you for bringing me here. I wish I had some way to repay you for all you’ve done for me.] She gave him something of a sad look, opening her palms to show she had very little. [But it’s beautiful here. Will you bring me again?] She hoped he understood most of what she had attempted to communicate, glancing at the beauty around her again.

After lingering for perhaps longer than he strictly ought to have done (she was just so nice to have physically close to him, and they seemed to almost slot together), Dritz let them drift apart once more.

From what he was able to gather, Vela wanted to repay him? He did, however, realise that she was asking to return. He shook his head, “You don’t owe me anything, silly. This is as much a treat for me, 'cuz I get to spend time in your company that isn’t us working. Although I do like that too.”

He thought for a moment before his eyes brightened with excitement. “Maybe we could bring something to eat next time, and sit down, stay awhile?”


	12. Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fera returns to add some drama to Dritz and Vela's lives, but they still get to go on their picnic.

With a promise made to return to the garden together sometime in the near future, Vela and Dritz continued to go through their days at each other’s side. The work was sometimes hard and left them quite tired by evening, but they both seemed incredibly happy just to be in close proximity for much of the time. Dritz would ramble on about the work he was doing, or anything that crossed his mind, and Vela would listen and smile, teaching him even more signs so that he very nearly had the basics of the language. He couldn’t always repeat it correctly, but at least he could understand.

This carried on for almost another week, and by then nearly the entirety of the Nova had been repaired and upgraded. There was only a little more to be done the next day, and that night they planned to share their meal at the garden in celebration.

Their day winding down, Vela approached Dritz with a serious expression. [I need to see your datapad. And your ID card.]

Dritz had spent the majority of the day planned what sort of things he could bring for their meal in the gardens. He had been doing his best to keep the thoughts light, friendly, as though he was sharing a meal with anyone he could call a friend, but the truth was a particularly niggling thought kept popping into the back of his mind.

But it was definitely not a ‘date’, or anything of the sort. So he definitely shouldn’t also be planning what to wear.

His thoughts were interrupted by Vela’s approach. He turned a bright smile towards her, which immediately faltered when he saw how serious she looked. For the first time since meeting her, he had the briefest pang of concern. Why would she want his ID card…? The worry passed after only a second as he pulled both out from his pockets.

[Is everything okay?] he managed to sign, looking worried. “What’s happened?”

Though she had begun to focus on the process at hand, Vela nodded to let Dritz know everything was fine. She had watched him perform this several times and had picked up on it quickly.

The night before she had carefully calculated an amount based on what she knew Dritz charged, the cost of the parts he had sourced, and a little extra. The work had ended up taking two weeks, so that was added in accordingly.

She inserted her own ID card into the correct slot on the datapad first, keying in her passcode and then the amount of UCs to transfer. Then she replaced it with Dritz’s card to complete, not needing a passcode for it to accept the funds. The reason she had wanted to do it herself was out of the fear he would not accept the full amount, when she thought he deserved it.

Handing his things back to him, she simply signed [thank you] for the moment, waiting to see how he would react.

Dritz gawped at the screen of his datapad for a moment, apparently trying to process the amount in front of him. It was more than he would have charged a stranger, let alone a friend.

“Velaaa,” he whined, looking between her and the screen, “What is this? This is far too much. I didn’t want you to pay me at all! Working on the Nova is a pleasure that I would have paid someone else for, even!” He looked at the amount again, reasoning with what little he knew of Aurctas and its people. He sighed, a gesture that was in no way one of annoyance. “Thank you. You really didn’t have to, especially not… Wow. I’ve never seen this much money in one sitting before.”

After a moment, he whispered, “You’re not secret royalty are you?” To lighten the situation, he took to one knee in front of her, bowing down, “It is an honour, madam.”

Vela shook her head, attempting to be firm on the matter. [You agreed to work for me, so I wanted to pay you. And some of those parts were expensive. You didn’t let me handle enough of it.] Even if he couldn’t understand all of what she’d just motioned, he at least got the general idea that she would not be changing her mind. [And I can’t take it back now, anyway.] This was not true at all, as naturally the funds could be reversed, but it allowed her to make lighter of it, as well.

She wrinkled her nose at the idea of being royalty, stepping back when he knelt in front of her. [No. I just sold all the Ve I had saved up for years.] “Royalty” reminded her of Prince Fera, who they had luckily not seen a trace of since the first time.

[Now that it’s done… You have plenty of credits. Are you sure you still want to stay with me?] The idea saddened her. Dritz could easily obtain another small ship with the money and set off on his own, maybe look for more fulfilling work elsewhere. Besides, she had only a very vague idea of what she wanted to do next.

Waiting for his answer, she kept her gaze on the floor, not wanting to see his expression if he said he wanted to part ways.

Dritz chuckled, getting to his feet and giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder, which had become a way of making some physical contact with her without hugging her, which… if he were honest, he could do more often than she would probably like. “Well, I appreciate it. I didn’t want you to pay for the parts, because I was having so much fun doing the work. It felt like a fun project, rather than a job, so I just bought the parts as I would have for Papilio.”

What she asked him next made him frown. It was easy to tell that it was not something she wanted to happen, as she couldn’t hold his gaze, so he didn’t feel the need to worry about her wanting him around.

“Well, I don’t see what so many credits would do to make me wanna go off on my own,” he shrugged, beaming as usual, “I wanna stay with my captain so long as she’ll have me.”

Even if the nudge Dritz gave her made her smile, she still kept her eye focused on the floor until he answered. Sometimes she could swear he was about to hug her, and thought she almost wanted him to, even if that seemed a strange thought.

When he told her he still wanted to stay, however, she did look up with sincere gratitude. [Thank you. I do need someone to stay with me, I think. I still need help. You’re starting to learn my language already. And I like you.] She did give him a hug then, though a brief one. For Aurians, embracing was more an act of warmth than affection, but she found she was enjoying the physical contact with him for more than that.

Considering the matter settled, she began making her way off the ship with Dritz following. [We should probably get ready for our dinner. At least now neither of us has to worry about money, and we can have almost anything we want.] She had given about half of her remaining funds to him, though she would not say so. It felt better to her than keeping it all.

While he was not normally one who blushed easily, Dritz felt a distinct colour come to his face as she hugged him. Of course, he gave her a brief squeeze in return.

Even though she was right, such a large amount of money would get them one hell of a dinner, Dritz was naturally quite thrifty (at least until it came to new parts or other tech) and usually wouldn’t dream of paying more than a few UCs for a meal. He decided he would make an exception for this particular case.

“Well, since we might decide to head off on an adventure in the Nova, limiting us to dried food, why don’t we find one of those stalls that cook it fresh in front of you? Do you like spicy food? It can be pretty hot,” he said as they started their way towards the more commercial quarter, where the eateries and shops resided.

Fresh food was a novelty to Vela, who quickly agreed to this idea. They would likely be able to get covered bowls that they could carry to the garden. She was confused about the idea of “spicy” food, unsure what that would be like. And wasn’t “hot” a sort of temperature, not a flavor?

Before she could put her questions to Dritz, a very loud, and very distinct, voice cut through any of the surrounding noise and in fact seemed to bring everything to a temporary standstill.

“Ridiculous. This place is crawling with… Oh, oh there you are! You could have made yourselves a little more obvious, so I didn’t have to hunt you down through this godsforsaken maze of a station. Terrible design, really. Coronal architects could have built this much better.”

Vela turned her head slowly, knowing the voice was addressing them. She remembered the snobbish tone distinctly as belonging to a certain eighth prince of the planet Coronus.

Sure enough, he was standing there and staring at Dritz and herself, not in a way which was hostile, but not completely friendly either, hands propped against his hips. Somehow he was taller than they had last seen him, and dressed in a much more outlandish costume which consisted of a form-fitting white dress that didn’t even cover half of his thighs (though the long white boots he wore covered most of the rest), elegant gloves, and a white cape around his shoulders. Vela had to wonder if his neck felt heavy with the massive golden necklace which rested there.

She realized she was staring too, but so was everyone in the immediate vicinity. Cautiously she turned to glance at Dritz, knowing he would have to be the one to handle it.

The voice that was easily audible over the crowd made Dritz’s antennae twitch and rise from his head as he turned to find the source, even though he was certain as to who it was.

Prince Fera looked even more beautiful than before, his outfit clearly chosen for… Well, gaining attention and awe, which he definitely seemed to have achieved.

“Ah, Prince Fera,” Dritz said with a wide smile, “How lovely to have run into you again so soon. My, uh, my contact details are on the card I gave you, so you needn’t have spent time looking for me.”

Something in the back of his mind sparkled with mischief. He had not forgotten how Fera had treated Vela.

“Card?” Fera repeated, as though the word was strange to him. “Oh, that decrepit piece of technology. I believe I threw it away immediately, I am so sorry.” His tone did not indicate he was truly apologetic. All of the spectators to this conversation seemed to have responded to the word “prince” by either continuing to watch in awe or quickly hurrying away. Vela wondered how much of a reputation Fera might have. No matter what it was, he seemed to be preening under all the attention.

Abruptly he gestured to them in a dramatic motion, sweeping his cape behind him. “Besides, what do I need a card for when I can clearly remember you! It would be hard to forget Dritz of the planet Chrysala. He owes me a favor, after all.” His eyes narrowed as he held his head up high, clearly enjoying the murmur that went through the remaining crowd. Was owing him a favor significant? “And of course, his little… well, this silent Vee-laa. I admit I had forgotten her somewhat. Although…” He inspected her closer, causing her to shift uncomfortably. “She looks a bit less drab. A slight improvement.” She was wearing the lilac-colored vest that day, and almost wished she hadn’t, not caring much for Fera’s notice.

Nevertheless, that notice didn’t last long as the Coronal turned his gaze back to Dritz. “Where are my manners? How have you been keeping, I simply must know.”

Dritz beamed as though they were good friends, “Ah, you do remember me and my lovely friend, Vela. I’m… Wow, beyond honoured to be remembered.”

He bowed, a brief gesture that was simply for show. Until he got an apology out of the monarch, he was not about to be his usual respectful and cheery self. Although it was hard to not be so.

“I had not forgotten our arrangement. You helped me out, so I owe you. What is it I can do for you, friend?” he asked.

A slight change came over Fera, one that did look a little threatening. His eyes flashed darker for just a moment, somehow, and his voice lowered. “You should be. How was I going to forget something of such importance? And I do suggest you watch how you address me.”

Abruptly it was as though nothing odd had happened at all. “Oh, dear.” The prince sighed, fussing at an imaginary mark on his spotless white cape. “Well, that is the problem. I’m not sure what to ask quite yet. Perhaps… you have an offer? I didn’t want this to go on too long, before… well, you know. That would be terribly inconvenient for you and… Vee-laa.”

Fera’s words were somewhat confusing to Vela, as was his strange pronunciation of her name. Maybe there was something they didn’t know about all of this, something the prince was purposely keeping from them.

Dritz frowned. He wasn’t scared of the prince’s threatening tone (well, maybe a bit) but there was something about the whole situation that was unnerving.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I don’t know. Usually when I trade favours with others they have things in mind that they need me for before contacting me. As I said before, it’s usually repairs or replacement, building them something they need.” He shrugged, visibly searching for something that he could offer, “I’ve done courier jobs, one-off bodyguarding work, security and the like. It has to be said though that those last two are not my forte, but a favour is a favour. So, Prince Fera, I’m afraid it’s better if you have something in mind for me.”

He turned slightly and gestured, smiling once again, “Maybe I could buy you a drink while you decide?”

“Mm.” Fera had listened to the options, but not indicated a preference for one either way. He stood watching Dritz with his eyes narrowed, head held high. “As I said, I hadn’t decided yet. Perhaps it would be better to make you understand exactly what is at stake in this situation.”

He glanced around quickly, glaring at the remaining bystanders until they all had the impression they needed to leave. Then he turned a rather charming smile back on Dritz.

“A drink? Well, I couldn’t say no to that. Do realize, however, that you are nowhere near my type.” He smirked as though this were a cruel joke before seeming to remember something and pointing at Vela. “Does she have to come along? She is unsettling, with her…” Apparently unsure how to describe it, the prince made vague gestures in the air, obviously to represent her signing.

While he was not offended, Dritz was more irritated that Prince Fera had; first assumed that he was even remotely interested in him, and second, that he was then entitled to such a snide remark. Despite this, Dritz simply chuckled, shaking his head, “It isn’t like that at all, Your Highness. Just a gesture of friendship, hospitality. The station can be pretty daunting, and I’ve been here a while now. I like to welcome others, and we have business to conduct. The street isn’t any place for that.”

'Plus,’ he thought, 'pretty as you are, that attitude of yours ain’t my type either.’

“Vela is my close friend, and I would like for her to come with us,” the Chrysalan said. He turned to Vela and signed [He awful. Come if you want to only] before turning back to Fera, “'Scuse me, I was just asking if she has any business to attend to. I know it’s pretty rude to speak an unknown language, so I thought I’d explain to you too.”

Fera seemed just a bit disappointed to not get an offended reaction from Dritz, and seemed to have no interest in gestures of friendship in general.

As the Chrysalan signed to her, Vela had to fight not to smile. [He is. I want to come just in case you need my help.] It would be much better to keep an eye on the prince, who she did not trust in the slightest, and the fact that he was wary of her might be something she could use to keep him in check.

“If you’re sure,” Fera snapped once the exchange had been explained. “You’d better not be adding or taking away words to say anything bad about me.” Of course, he had no way of knowing whether they did or not, which did make Vela smile this time.

“This place is hardly daunting,” he continued to scoff as Dritz led them away to wherever he had in mind. “Unless you consider how filthy and foul-smelling it is in general. I swear I have come so close to being sick here.”

Relieved that Vela would accompany them, Dritz explained so to Fera who, as expected, was far from impressed.

“Absolutely not,” he said, managing to look offended, “That would be horrible behaviour. If I had any reason to say anything bad about you, I’d address it constructively. Since I don’t…” He shrugged, beaming as a way to illustrate his point. “Now. A drink somewhere cleaner and… well, as fitting for a prince as Hesperus can manage.”

He lead them to the outer areas of the ring, where the hustle and bustle lessened, and even Dritz had to admit that the streets were visibly cleaner (he hadn’t really noticed before, thinking the whole station was cleaner than any on-planet street). The shops and restaurants towards the outside were usually a bit nicer, as owners needed to pay more rent to have a space view. Selecting the crisp white building with a closed front and a purple neon sign in a language he didn’t speak (he had heard good things about it, despite never having been there), Dritz strolled in, holding the door for the others. The interior was low-lit in a relaxing way, with plush white leather furniture and soft, ambient music. The bar ahead of them had the same purple neon light in a strip under the lip of the bar, illuminating it in magenta. The woman behind the bar, an attractive human with her hair (purple, again) in a neat bun, greeted them with a warm, but elegant smile.

Dritz nodded, turning back to Fera and Vela, “Would you like to choose where you’d prefer to sit, and I will fetch us drinks?”

For the prince, he thought he might have worked out exactly what sort of thing he might like, but it was a gamble. He selected a cocktail of sweet fruit liquors with a small sour note that kept it from being overpowering, served in a tall, narrow glass with a short stem, it was mostly clear, but in certain lights, would pick up a subtle pink hue. After a moment of staring at it, he ordered two more, assuming the prince would be needlessly suspicious of one just for himself.

Dritz went to order drinks, and Fera started walking toward the back of the room without even looking at Vela. She followed him cautiously, waiting until he had chosen a seat with his back to the wall before she sat a couple of chairs down at the same table. He did look at her then, for a good half-second, before ignoring her in favor of eyeing the rest of the patrons.

The room was pretty, Vela could admit, but also odd and far from anything she was used to. When the Chrysalan appeared at the table, with a small tray of drinks and his usual bright smile, Vela felt relieved. Having one friendly face nearby went a long way toward making her feel more at ease. The drink Dritz presented her with, however, was so strange to her that she leaned forward to stare at it the way she had done with the tea flower.

Fera’s reaction was quite different. “Ahh!” he exhaled, apparently happy for the moment. “I didn’t think a place this backward would serve anything like an Aldebaran Holiday. I’m impressed, Dritz, this is quite a lovely drink. Quite expensive.” He sipped it daintily while Vela had only moved on to smelling her own. “How does an engineer afford drinks like these?”

Dritz held his glass awkwardly, grasping the bowl rather than the stem, obviously someone who didn’t often drink cocktails. He chortled good-naturedly at Fera, shrugging.

“Who said I just do engineering?” he said suggestively, raising just one eyebrow before chuckling again. “I happen to have just finished a big project. The client must have liked me, or I did a stellar job, 'cuz she paid me nearly double!”

He took a decidedly undignified swig of his own drink, marvelling at the sweet taste. “Mm. So, to business?”

He reached under the table and gently, surreptitiously patted Vela’s knee.

Vela felt her face warm a little as Dritz touched her knee, giving him a grateful look while Fera was distracted with his drink. She still hadn’t even tried her own yet, but when the prince began to speak, she had her attention on him instead.

“I see. Well, good for you. I trust this was an engineering job and not some shady work as an escort or the like, from the way you put it,” he smirked. His gaze was wandering the room, not really focused on them for the moment. Vela tried to follow the direction he was looking, and it seemed he was now staring at a man with green skin and large, muscular arms a few tables away. Fera’s eyelids had half lowered and he was tracing the lip of his glass with one finger in a way Vela found odd. It took several minutes before he spoke again.

“Business? Oh… Well, they do say 'business before pleasure,’ but I certainly never believed in that. Especially not with a good drink in front of me. I am rather more inclined to think about pleasure while leaving business far behind.” Not understanding what Fera was talking about, Vela now gave Dritz a concerned look.

“There is nothing shady about my escorting,” Dritz laughed, shaking his head, “Of course it was a techie job.”

Finishing the last of his drink while surreptitiously following Fera’s gaze, a small light went on in the back of his mind. Well… Damn. If he were better looking, maybe he could have wrangled the resonance tube for free and avoided this awkward meeting.

Dritz cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair and relaxing against it. “Be my guest, Your Highness, once we’re done here. You took the trouble of finding me for this favour…”

Catching Vela turning to face him (she looked especially pretty to him with the soft purple lights shining in her hair), Dritz raised both eyebrows, a small grin betraying his amusement. [Tell later] he quickly signed. The motion was sloppy as he attempted to make the signing look like he was trying to get comfortable, if only to avoid Fera thinking he was talking behind his back… In front of him.

“Ohh, alright,” Fera sighed, dragging his attention back to Dritz. He downed the drink remaining in his glass in a large swallow which was quite a contrast from his sipping earlier.

“Now, listen.” Vela was already intent on the prince, but this made her look closer. His shoulders were held much more relaxed than before and his voice had lowered; he was not emphasizing as many words as he usually did. “I really don’t think you know what you’ve done, going into the debt of a Coronal. We have laws. Very strict laws which we even hold off-worlders to. Anyone who goes into debt must repay it within the next few spans–I suppose you call them months. You’ve already used up a small portion of this time, but to be honest I really am not sure what to ask of you. And you can be called to trial on Coronus if the debt remains unpaid. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”

Fera was quite smug about his little speech, now looking triumphant as he stared at Dritz. “You can also trust me that I will not allow you to choose something to repay me, not since you’ve given control of that to me. So, basically… you are at my whim. Don’t worry, I’ve already reported you to the Council. They have the right to drag you to Coronus once the time is up. I won’t be going easy on you just because you’ve bought me a nice drink.” Fera batted his eyelashes a few times, but was still smirking. Vela was admittedly a little lost as to what this all meant.

Dritz listened with a deep frown, growing more and more panicked. Could that really happen? His mind working overtime, Dritz shoved his chair back and rested his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees and beginning to search his knowledge for any sort of loophole that he could see in that law. The prince had not expressly given him this information on forming the solution… But they had shook on it, and as far as he was concerned, a verbal contract was binding.

He cursed in a frustrated Chrysalan buzz before sitting up again with a determined expression.

“Fine. You tell me what it is you want- now-, or I turn myself in and explain the situation,” he said stiffly, shrugging. “I’ve never been to Coronus anyway.”

Vela watched Dritz with a worried expression, reaching to touch his leg hesitantly when he seemed so upset. He wasn’t his usual self when he spoke, either. She didn’t know what a “trial” was or really what Fera was referring to, but it must be something bad.

“No, no, no,” he sighed, looking quite put out. “You don’t have to go to Coronus. In fact I would strongly recommend against it. I bet you don’t even know that you’d need protective gear when not in a controlled area? Off-worlders have a hard time visiting our lovely planet, which might explain why our tourist industry is a bit lacking.” He grinned in a way that was rather malevolent. “Trust me. I still don’t know how you can repay me, but the time will come soon. And I will return then. You can count that as a deal as well, if it makes you feel better?”

He had extended his hand to Dritz once more, and Vela hoped the prince was being sincere.

Dritz had paled quite considerably. He could call the prince’s bluff, but there was every chance that he had reported him, and that they would haul him to Coronus for defying a member of the royal family. Really, he had no choice, and in the back of his mind, he continued to, irritatingly, tell himself that the verbal contact was binding.

He smiled begrudgingly and took Fera’s hand, shaking it once more before taking out his datapad and doing some calculations.

“So… I have roughlyyy… Eight to ten days by my count? I’d like to make sure I’m easily found this time, you understand,” he sighed. The only small comfort about this suddenly-complicated situation was that Vela was there with him. He was looking forward to being alone with her again.

“Roughly,” Fera confirmed with a smug expression. “You needn’t worry about where you are. I will find you.”

With this cryptic statement, the eighth prince of Coronus rose from his seat and looked down his nose at Dritz. “You will see me soon. Thank you for the drink.” He said this as though very unused to it. Then he turned on his heel and sauntered away, straight to the green-skinned man from before. Their conversation was unable to be heard at this distance, but eventually the pair left together.

Vela finally turned to Dritz, the confusion she felt plainly showing on her face. [Are you alright? What just happened?] She made a different gesture to include everything prior to Fera leaving. [All of it… I’m sorry I don’t always understand things.]

“Have fun,” Dritz said quietly. He had to admit, he was impressed with what must be flirting skills to die for. Still, having a face and a body like that wouldn’t hamper anyone’s effort.

He turned to look at Vela with an exasperated sigh, flopping against her and groaning.

“Boy am I glad you’re here,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “So, from what I can gather, my offering a favour in exchange for the resonance tube has put me in some sort of debt with him. Like… There could be legal complications, I guess, 'cuz he’s royalty? As for-” he flapped a hand in the rough direction of where the green-skinned man had been, “-that, well… I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

He sat up, his usual smile back in place, and signed [it’s okay, do you get it now?].

Even though she listened carefully to Dritz’s explanation, it remained true that she didn’t understand all of it. She wasn’t directly familiar with words such as “debt” or “legal,” but filed the sounds away in her mind to try looking them up later. It seemed to her that Dritz would have been tired of explaining by now.

She smiled gently as he rested against her for a moment. [I understand. But will everything be alright? He will come back? This happened because of me. Why would you be glad I’m here?]

The guilt Vela had felt earlier was returning. It should have been her in this “debt” to Fera, not Dritz. Absently she wiped at the condensation on the side of her still-full glass of what the prince had called Aldebaran Holiday. The others had seemed to enjoy it, so she was thinking of trying it soon.

The Chrysalan pulled himself away from Vela just enough to look at her properly. His usual smile had become softer, more fond.

“Hey, now, you didn’t cause this!” he said firmly, “No one could have known (apart from a Coronal, apparently) that this would happen. And I’m glad you’re here because you’re my friend.” He budged her gently with his shoulder once more. “He’ll come back, and I’ll repay what I owe, then that’ll be the last we see of our dear prince of Coronus. But for now, let’s finally get our nice picnic! When you’ve finished your drink, of course. Sound good?”

Dritz’s reassurances calmed Vela again, and she relaxed. It was a nice thought, to have the issue with Fera resolved and to not have to deal with him anymore. Being reminded of their meal at the garden (which must be what “picnic” meant) made her feel even better.

She nodded with more eagerness than usual, sitting forward to inspect the drink again. It was still cool despite the condensation. Cautiously, she lifted it up and took the tiniest sip.

The drink definitely was strange. Vela’s nose wrinkled as she tasted how sweet it was, and yet it was burning somehow as well? After another experimental sip she had to set the glass down, as her left eye had begun to water. She looked up at Dritz pleadingly, trying to blink away the tears. [No.]

Dritz couldn’t stifle the laugh that Vela’s look caused. Her reaction had been, and it was not a word he used often, so cute. Seemed perhaps Aurians didn’t have alcohol either? It was far sweeter than he usually liked his drinks too, if he were being honest. He signed [it’s okay], before taking the drink and polishing it off himself, not wanting to waste the credits spent on it. He did, however, feel slightly woozy afterwards, which would likely pass once they collected their food.

“You alright, there?” he asked, “You want some water or something? This rubbish is an acquired taste, if you’re inclined to acquire it. From that reaction, I’m guessing not. Do you like any alcohol?”

[I’m fine. We’ll have water with our meal. I don’t know what it is, exactly… But I don’t like it. I don’t think I want any more.] There were a lot of strange things in the galaxy outside Aurctas, and while she was enjoying much of it, every now and then there was something she ended up not too fond of.

They left their table and the empty glasses behind, heading back out into the main corridors. Vela absently wondered if they would see Fera again, but hoped he would be leaving on his ship soon enough. She also wondered what his ship might look like, certain it was large and impressive, if he was important on Coronus.

Turning herself toward Dritz as she walked, she signed, [Where are we going?] She did remember something about the food being cooked in front of them, which would be an event she had never witnessed before.

In an attempt to distract himself from what he had discussed with Fera, Dritz led Vela through the station streets, slipping back into his tour guide role, explaining to her about the open front restaurant he intended to show her. Ahead of them was a round, squat building with a coppery outer decor. Surrounding the building, which was open on all sides, with a counter to eat at, were small tables right in the street, cordoned off by copper chain and bollards. The smells of cooked meat and spices drifted through the air and, as they got closer, one could see the chefs, all long-limbed beings with three eyes, positioned at each of the four sides, their griddle right in front of the counter, so one could watch their meal being prepared if they wished.

“I heard it’s more common in the Versar System to have vendors like this, but I dunno how true that is. We don’t have anything like this on Chrysala. Like I say,” he said as he made his way to the counter and pulled out a chair for Vela, “The food is great.”

He held up two fingers and, with a beam, chirped, “Can we get two bowls of varanai stew, please? One mild, one hot?”

The chef prepared two large dumplings made from mashed potatoes, frying them on the grill in expertly quick time, and arranged them each in a bowl. Next to him was a large, shallow bowl bubbling full of vegetables in a rich, dark sauce that seemed to be giving off the smell. In one of the bowls, the chef added a sprinkle of bright red powder with a flourish of his long fingers.

With the bowls covered and handed to them, Dritz paid the chef and nodded at Vela.

“Just need our water now. And one more thing…” he said.

The experience was completely new to Vela, but that went without saying. She kept her hands still as they sat and watched the (very foreign-looking) chefs deftly prepare their food, staring at the building, unfamiliar ingredients, and quick activity all around them. The sights, sounds, and even smells were a lot for her to soak in, so she didn’t speak until they received their bowls. Then she carefully placed her own on the counter to sign to Dritz.

[That was interesting. Thank you. No one on Aurctas would probably believe this existed. I will get the water.]

Despite Dritz protesting he could handle that too, Vela slipped away quickly and was back remarkably fast with two bottles of water. Her sense of direction had remained quite strong. Considering Dritz paid for their meals, she had made certain to buy fresh water that had not been in dehydrated form first, which was definitely more of a luxury on a space station.

[What else?] she signed before picking up her bowl and water, effectively silencing herself again.

Dritz watched Vela go, having learnt that it was not the best thing to try and protest when she wished to do something for you. When she returned with the water (the fresh kind, he noted with some excitement), he greeted her with a grin. He’d had the chef stack their bowls and tie them securely at the top so that they could be carried with one hand.

“Cake,” he grinned, “That’s what else.”

This time he led her to a much smaller place, a little close-front shop. It was sadly not a place where fresh cakes were made, rather a small sort of convenience store with a bit of everything to be sold, but nevertheless, the packaged or rehydrated mixes were just as nice.

Dritz selected two slices of a golden brown cake with a line of colourful pink and white something in the middle, thinking that this particular kind was a bit less sweet than the drinks they’d had, with most of the taste coming from the strawberry flavour in the centre.

“There. Now we’re ready to get going,” he announced.

“Cake?” Vela pronounced, so slowly it sounded much more odd than what Dritz had said. There was no sign for “cake” in Aurian.

What “cake” turned out to be was a strange-looking wedge of food which made Vela stare when she saw it. It did look somewhat appealing. She trusted his judgment on the fact it was good, helping him carry everything along straight to the holographic garden.

Once they arrived, Vela stopped in awe once again. The scenery had changed and it no longer seemed the same place as before. There were taller objects which she had no name for, which were shaped like a column with plants fluttering in vast multitudes along the top. It caused a rustling sound which was quite pleasant to hear. They were all colored in shades such as red, orange, and yellow. Even the plants lower to the ground were colored the same way. There were no flowers currently, but small dirt paths winding through wide patches of grass.

Vela turned to Dritz with her mouth still slightly open, unable to ask why it had changed into something so equally lovely, but wanting to.

Dritz had not been expecting the change in the hologram, and was grinning widely when Vela turned to face him.

“I guess they changed the cycle! Perfect, something new to explore,” he said brightly. “We should look at the display and find out what this is!”

He gestured her over to a small screen which informed them the hologram was an Earth autumn. “Huh… I wonder why it’s all orange and red. Pretty though, right? Where do you wanna sit, under one of the trees?” Realising Vela might not know what he meant, he gestured to one of them.

“Trees,” Vela repeated softly. The word had a nice sound, and was easier for her to say than some. [They are pretty.]

They sat down under one at a comfortable arm’s length distance apart. Dritz handed Vela the bowl that was hers, and she realized how hungry she was as soon as she opened it and the rich smell drifted out. There was a spoon attached to the lid, and she used it to begin eating, cautiously at first but soon faster when she tasted how good it was. Nothing she had traded for on Aurctas could have ever been this good.

She had to slow down for a drink when Dritz, chuckling, told her she was inhaling her food a bit fast. With a little shrug and smile, she leaned over to investigate his own bowl.

Again, that soft voice set the fluttering in Dritz’s stomach going. Though it might have been hunger.

Despite the hologram, the tree trunk had enough solidity to it (projected onto a pillar or column, no doubt) that he was able to lean against it, crossing one leg over the other and eating slowly, savouring the subtle heat of the spice and the strong, richer flavours in the sauce. More than anything though, he was savouring the taste of fresh water, and the almost… well, almost romantic air to their situation. They were eating quietly (though one of them amusingly hastily, as though someone might steal their food…), and the area of the gardens they had chosen were empty at that time.

With Vela eyeing up Dritz’s food, the Chrysalan pouted and held it at arm's length away from her, “Hey, you got your own.” Of course, he couldn’t keep a straight face and he brought the bowl back to his lap, “Nah, I kid. Do you want to try the hotter kind?” He was actually weirdly excited that she was adventurous enough to be sniffing the spicier kind of stew. He carefully spooned some up, making sure to get some of the potato dumpling, which helped cool the heat from the spice, and he held it up for her to eat.

“Have some,” he chirped, grinning encouragingly.

Understandably cautious given what else had happened when trying something new that day, Vela nodded hesitantly and inched herself closer to Dritz. She opened her mouth and took the bite he offered, her eye darting up toward him midway in a bit of embarrassment. It did feel strangely intimate for him to have given her a taste from his own spoon.

She chewed slowly, concerned over why it felt so strange on her tongue, eyebrows drawing down as it started to burn a little. After she had swallowed she grabbed her water and drank it eagerly. [Why does it taste like that? Mine doesn’t.] This must be what he had meant by “hot,” and maybe it was the extra ingredient that had been added to his bowl. [I think I’ll just eat mine.]

While she attempted to concentrate on that instead, she was still aware of how close she had moved to Dritz. Their legs nearly touched on one side, and she could feel his warmth again. It would be rude to move further away now, of course.

Watching her, Dritz chortled sympathetically when she swiped up her water and signed her distress.

“I told you it was spicy,” he giggled, “You alright? The cake will help cool your mouth when you’re finished.”

It was only when he started to eat again that he noticed she had scooted closer to him, their legs only a few inches apart. Being that distance felt better than their previous distance, even if that had not been too much.

Once they were both finished, he eagerly unwrapped the slices of cake and handed one too her.

“I think this one has strawberry flavour in it,” he said, taking a bite. The sponge was soft and fluffy, and the cream was sweet enough to give it flavour, but it was in such small amounts that it didn’t overwhelm.

He eagerly spooned up a large scoop for Vela and held it out for her, turning his body to face her completely, beaming. “It’s really nice, I promise you’ll like this.”

With Dritz’s promise, Vela found herself not as wary about this “cake.” She wasn’t sure what strawberry was either, but she was more than willing to try something that wasn’t hot and he personally recommended. It surprised her when he offered a bit of his own cake on the spoon instead of letting her eat from hers first, but she smiled faintly and obliged him.

She chewed slowly, finding the texture very pleasant and soft, the sweetness not so much as the drink from earlier. It was actually quite nice, and she signed so to Dritz, still smiling. She nibbled at her own slice, thinking this cake could become special to her, and she might ask for it again. It would remind her of Dritz.

Halfway through the slice, she handed the rest to him. [It’s good. But I’m very full now.]

“I shouldn’t,” Dritz said, even as he accepted the cake and started scooping the strawberry cream from it, eating that first, “But eh, it is good.”

Once he was finished, he glanced at Vela, admiring her in the way that had become the norm. Some part of him wanted to just gently touch the side of her face, or perhaps the short wisps of hair that were beginning to curl around her ears. Instead, he put his arm around her shoulders, grinning and squeezing lightly.

“So you like the gardens a lot then, huh?” he asked.

Seeing no harm in it, Vela relaxed into the gentle squeeze of Dritz’s arm around her shoulders. They were already sitting so close that it took very little effort for her to move into resting against his side for a short time.

She nodded in response, too lost in thought to move back just yet. Her thoughts were about how safe it felt to be near Dritz, how warm and pleasant he was to be around, how nice it might feel to fall asleep this way…

The last surprised her, and she drew away to smile at him, deciding to forget it for the moment. [Let’s look around.] Leaving their things to collect later, she took Dritz’s hand to help him up and begin an exploration of the hologram.


	13. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Nova upgraded, Dritz and Vela make it through a difficult situation before landing themselves in a much more pleasant one.

The next couple of days passed in a blur of preparations as the repairs and upgrades to the Nova were finally completed. Vela and Dritz were standing outside the ship and admiring it together. While the hull hadn’t been changed much, it had at least received a fresh coat of paint in a dark grey shade which the Aurian preferred, though she had also accepted Dritz’s idea to have a bright star painted in white along one side as a sort of symbol for the ship itself. It did look rather beautiful, as a whole. The work had been hard but it had also been incredibly rewarding, as well as in the sense that it had brought the pair ever closer as friends.

Vela turned to Dritz with a slight smile, asking for his datapad and typing for him. “Would you like to test the systems? We could fly to a nearby planet, maybe. So we’ll know if there’s anything else to fix before a longer flight.” Whenever she had something incredibly important to say she would still use the datapad in order to ensure there were no misunderstandings. There was also still about five days remaining for Fera to find them, and with a short trip like she had been thinking of, it would not be a problem for them to leave.

Dritz had felt a great sense of acceptance and friendship when Vela had agreed to the additional decoration for the hull. Of course, he wasn’t about to suggest the same sort of thing he had wanted for the Papilio, as it just wasn’t her, but the star really distinguished it from other ships (though it was already unique.) He hadn’t wished to suggest any words, but to have a symbol for the ship seemed right.

With the datapad handed back to him, Dritz nodded enthusiastically, “Oh, cap'n, I was hoping you’d ask. I would love to.”

He brought up a map of the system to check out the closest planets for anything interesting.

Vela leaned in close, studying the map on the datapad’s screen. She had already looked it over last night, but wanted to be sure her choice had been a good one.

[Here.] She pointed at a planet less than ten light years away. That was only a jump of two hours, a good test of the Nova’s warp capabilities. Its name was Thauros and it was a largely uninhabited desert planet with little rain but occasional sandstorms. However, they were incredibly rare during this season on Thauros and Vela felt sure they would be safe from any hazards.

[Does this look okay? Would you clear us for departure?] Vela began making her way onto the ship once Dritz agreed.

“Thauros, huh? Pretty cool, I’ve never been there!” Dritz said brightly, before nodding and squeezing her shoulder, then scurrying to the station marshal to clear their take off with the docks. The gent, a broad fellow with an almost permanent expression suggesting he tired of everything around him, recognised Dritz and greeted him with a grunt.

“You off again?” he asked, though there was little interest in his voice, “I guess I’ll clear ya.”

-

It was not too long before Dritz burst back onto the ship in typically noisy fashion, leaping into the engine room to begin their launch sequence, checking the new parts over several times as he did.

When the usual amount of noise announced that Dritz had returned, Vela busied herself at the navigation console, programming it for a flight to Thauros. This was far less complicated than it had been with the older equipment, and took much less time. Once she was prepared and given the thumbs up from Dritz (who had had to explain this gesture to her previously), she set the Nova in motion for the smoothest takeoff it had ever been through.

Vela set them into warp as soon as they were the proper distance from Hesperus. It feel like such a smooth jump that she could hardly tell it had happened, but the stars beginning to streak by proved it beyond any doubts.

Unaware until now that she had been tense, she relaxed back into her seat and turned it to see Dritz near the engines, giving him a little smile. [Everything is good so far. The engines are alright?]

With the new components doing their job brilliantly, Dritz needed to do very little to keep everything in motion. Before he was even completely aware, they had made the jump, and he could see the telltale strings of starlight if he focused very hard when he looked out.

He gave Vela the most excited, delighted grin, dashing over to her seat and taking her hands, spinning her and the seat with him, “The engines are great! Everything looks good, we have completely got this perfect, Vela!”

After a second, he seemed to realise how dizzying spinning her might be, and slowed to a stop, looking up at the monitor. [What about here?] he signed, very slowly. The Aurian language was remarkable, once he had started to learn the different ways to emphasise words to make them into questions.

Somewhat alarmed by the spinning, Vela frowned at Dritz until he stopped, as she did feel the slightest bit dizzy. Soon enough she was smiling again, thinking about how excited he was over the whole situation. She never would have imagined he would be this intensely interested in how well the Nova could perform.

She watched his careful signing before turning to glance at the new navigation monitor and viewscreen. The monitor displayed a map of their progress through space as well as their destination and a number of other small details, and it was far easier to view than the old one. The viewscreen showed what was ahead of them at the moment, tiny star trails seeming to streak toward the screen, but it could be adjusted to show a view anywhere around them and even to show video communications with other ships enabled with the same. It had nearly been overwhelming for Vela to think of all this new technology she was now able to use, but she was more happy about it than anything else.

[It’s working well,] she signed back. [No more surprises.] She gave Dritz a significant smile, thinking of Fera. [We don’t have to watch it as closely anymore, either. We can do something else for awhile, if you want?] She stood from the chair and stretched her legs, knowing that once they arrived they would be able to briefly explore on the planet as well.

“Good stuff, I am definitely pleased there won’t be any more unexpected appearances by monarchs or otherwise,” Dritz laughed, flopping into the chair opposite her. “When we next dock we can try out the new video comms too, I don’t think we needed to when we launched, right?”

He grinned in an almost flirtatious manner, spinning himself in the other chair, “Weeelll… maybe you could show me some more Aurian. Or we could play a game, or ask more questions. I think after all this work together we might be running low on them, though!”

They settled in the canteen, at the table, and Dritz taught Vela a simple card game which, after a somewhat shaky start, she picked up easily, resulting in him losing four of the five rounds they played, leaving him fake-pouting in confusion.

The game was fun, after Dritz taught her how to play, as well as explaining what a game actually was. It wasn’t the sort of pastime one might have on Aurctas, though she had to wonder if they had games in the distant past. Why she kept winning, however, was beyond her ability to figure out. She was only following the rules the way he had taught her.

She didn’t notice that he seemed a little disappointed by this, especially since immediately afterward, one of the intercoms alerted them that the Nova was approaching its destination and would need to be brought out of warp for the approach. They returned to the bridge together and Vela slowed the ship, enabling manual controls to test them as well.

Their descent through the atmosphere of Thauros was a little rough, but Vela thought it would have been much worse before. She had carefully chosen the coordinates beforehand, well away from any habitation and on a flat plain. There was no need trouble any of the locals with their brief presence. Once the Nova had landed solidly on the ground, Vela turned to Dritz while he was shutting down the engines. [How was it?] she signed as he looked up.

Where the Nova would have been audibly struggling with the break through the planet’s atmosphere, the descent was smooth and easy. Dritz barely needed to do anything, such was Vela’s piloting. The Aurian knew her ship well, and the enhancements had only served to make her flying even smoother. If he didn’t know any better, he would have guessed she was a professional pilot.

He shook his head, smiling in an almost bemused way, “I can’t believe how easy that was. Everything was great.”

He sauntered over and squeezed her shoulder, something which was becoming quite the habit.

“We make an ace team,” he announced.

Though reassured that everything had gone well, Vela had to puzzle over what Dritz meant by “ace team.” Did he mean they worked well together? She decided not to ask, as she liked that definition. His touching her made her happy as always, and she gently brushed against his arm in return as they headed to the hatch together.

Vela punched in the sequence on the keypad near the door, and it slid open to reveal a world she could have never imagined. The air was dry and warm, and a stiff wind was blowing about a fine, grainy substance which she recalled as “sand.” There was nothing else as far as the eye could see in any direction.

As they both stood outside the ship, Vela gave Dritz a slightly troubled look. [It’s hot] she signed, almost as though the fact distressed her.

Dritz looked Vela up and down, before smiling.

“It is. It’s really dry. Chrysala is hot, but it’s kinda… wet heat. This is weird. Do you have anything lighter to wear? If not, I think I left a shirt of mine in the bunk. It, uh, might not be ideal, but it’s there. Thing is-,” he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun. It was quite a close one, if clouded by the thick atmosphere. “- I reckon we will need to keep covered up. Exposure to this sun is likely to burn. Do you have anything to keep your head covered?”

He glanced around in amusement, “Then I suppose we should pick a direction we wanna look in, if you fancy a quick explore.”

Vela’s normal eye had widened in alarm. [Burn? I didn’t know. We should keep covered, then. Wait here.] She went back inside quickly, grabbing two pieces of clothing from her closet in the bunk room and hurrying back to Dritz. She handed him a length of cloth which he could use as a sort of head covering if he wanted to, and started putting on one of her looser tops with a hood attached.

[It’s a good thing you’re here. I didn’t think about the sun.] She felt somewhat embarrassed, wishing she had done better research beforehand, even though she had actually done a lot. [We’ll only look around a little while. I don’t think there’s much here anyway.]

They wouldn’t move beyond sight of the ship, she decided, so they didn’t need to worry about finding their way back. She started slowly across the ground with Dritz close by, feeling the strange sand, light grey in color, gently pulling at her feet every time she took a step. It was a new sensation to her, and she focused on that at first rather than anything else.

“Weeell, not burn like going crispy… Well, maybe a little. I just think we’re kinda vulnerable. Chrysalan skin dries out easily, and you’re really pale so your skin is delicate, so it’s better to be safe,” Dritz explained as he gratefully accept the item of clothing, draping it over his head and shoulders, tucking his antennae away, uncomfortable as it was.

He couldn’t help but watch Vela’s fascination with the sand. “You like it here? I mean, it obviously needs some more… Plants. Civilisation. Stuff like that.” He glanced around, nudging the sand with his boot. It was weird to him, having never experienced such a thing. There were areas of dryer, grainier soil on Chrysala, but it was mostly damp, clay-based.

After considering a moment, Vela shook her head. [No. I don’t think I like it very much. It’s not good for either of us, with this close sun. It does need some plants.] She smiled, wondering what a planet with both sand and plants would be like.

Truthfully, there was no real reason to stay and look around. It was obvious there was nothing to see, and the climate was not to their liking. But Vela felt as though she couldn’t help but stay at least a little while. [This is the first planet I’ve been on besides Aurctas] she signed to Dritz as they walked. [I went straight to Hesperus Alpha. The ascent from my planet was… difficult.] She had thought the Nova was about to shake itself apart as it left Aurctas’ atmosphere, and she hadn’t wanted to risk another attempt until it had been upgraded.

Squinting against the horizon, Vela focused her mechanical eye across the plain to where she could see an amount of sand swirling about, perhaps due to wind. It was not windy at their present location, so even if she puzzled over it briefly, she decided it was probably nothing to worry about.

“Hm. Nah, me neither. The heat’s not a problem, but the potential for burning and the lack of plants sort of sway your opinion, don’t they?” Dritz said idly. He did, however, focus closely when Vela explained having travelled straight to the station. She would have a lot of exploring to catch up on, that was for damn sure.

“Well, not every planet we come to will be great, I suppose. Hey, at least you can say you’ve been here!” he chuckled, beginning to meander widely, taking some shallow steps and some much wider ones, apparently trying to leave a winding, bizarre trail of footprints, occasionally looking back on his handiwork with a grin.

Vela decided that this visit to Thauros as her first planet was not totally disappointing, especially as Dritz still seemed optimistic about it. She watched him walking, realizing for the first time that she left footprints as well. It was different from prints in snow, as the sand seemed to slowly fill itself in over time so the marks were less noticeable.

She hesitantly tried copying Dritz by varying her footsteps, which amused him and made her smile even more. This was entertaining when nothing else on the planet seemed to be at the moment, and eventually she was aware they had moved so far from the ship that it appeared like a miniature version of itself to her normal eye. This wasn’t worrying to her, as she could see much farther with her other eye, so maybe they could keep going a little while longer.

It was then she heard the noise, an oddly faint roar coming from the direction she had seen the swirling sand. It was not faint long, approaching them within seconds until it was nearly deafening. There was very little time to react; it all happened suddenly. What seemed to be a whirlwind of glistening sand descended upon them shortly after this, and even though Dritz had only been a few feet away, she could no longer see him, or anything at all.

Vela dropped to her knees for a moment, trying to keep the sand out of her eyes with her hood. She could not call out, or even if she could, she would not be heard. Eventually she struggled her way up and tried to move in his direction. Or at least, what she thought was his direction.

Fear clawed at her, a terrible fear which said this might be her first and last trip, and that some harm might come to Dritz. The second thought seemed far less bearable than the first.

Such had been his fascination with Vela’s endearing participation, Dritz only heard the roar of the storm, turning to Vela just in time to catch sight of her briefly before what felt like shards of broken glass hit his face and he scrunched his eyes closed against the sand.

He tried desperately to call her name, but could barely hear himself over the rush and roar.

“If you can hear me, try to keep yourself covered, and get low,” he yelled, “I’ll try and get to you.” He yanked his shirt collar up over his nose and mouth, blindly groping in the direction he though Vela should be, desperate to feel the brush of her hand, or even to barge into her, anything to know she was okay and that he could protect her.

Vela thought she could hear something, just maybe, but it was soon lost in the sound of the wind. It was difficult to determine which direction that other noise had come from, so she moved toward where she thought Dritz had last been standing.

It turned out that her sense of direction had been all but destroyed by the swirling sand. There was no way to open her normal eye, and her mechanical eye couldn’t see through anything. Before much longer she had dropped to her knees again, huddling down on the ground to protect her head. It was all she could do to even keep the shawl wrapped around her and the hood up.

“Dritz,” she could have been heard to say quietly, if not for the noise. What if something had happened to him? What would she do without him now? Her ship was complete, but it would be more than losing her engineer, or even the only one outside Aurctas who had learned how to understand her. There was something else, the way he appeared in her mind, a longing to see him that she didn’t fully comprehend at the moment. She kept thinking of him, happy and smiling, trusting she would see the same again once the storm had ended.

With his sight robbed from him, Dritz could only hope that, in his attempts to find Vela, he didn’t wander too far from her. Thankfully that seemed impossible, given how the storm nearly whipped his legs right out from under him multiple times.

He stopped, his eyes tightly shut, and tried to remember… They had been winding around, looking at their footprints, ending up ten feet from each other at the most. He’d been facing the ship, then turned… Meaning that Vela would have been on his right. He had turned in confusion in the storm, though, then walked right. Was Vela actually behind him? He spun and started in that direction, walking in a crouched position. If she was on the ground, he didn’t want to trip over her. At worst he might walk into her backside, a thought which raised a nervous smile behind his shirt collar.

He continued to call her name, his voice wavering whenever he felt the sting of sand against his face and hands, waving his arms out wide, hoping to find her.

After what felt like far too long, his hand connected with something, and he felt his heart leap into his throat, but his fingers had found nothing more than a rocky outcropping uncovered by the storm. No matter how much he checked, it was not her.

Vela was beginning to think the storm might never end. It was different from a snowstorm, though possibly not as bad, since it wasn’t cold. Either way, she didn’t want any part of it, only wanting it to stop. The sand stung, and she knew her hearing would be affected by the noise when it did end.

Just as abruptly as it had started, the storm either passed or made up its mind to simply move on. The silence was now nearly as deafening as the noise had been. Ears ringing, Vela sat up slowly and looked around, unable to stand for the moment. Dritz was perhaps twenty feet away near an outcropping of rocks. He was on his feet, and she felt tears beginning to form in her left eye from sheer relief. All she could do was wait until he noticed her.

The storm cleared before Dritz was fully aware that it had done so, and he idly wondered how long he had been stood there, covering his eyes with one arm while clutching the outcrop with his free hand, whether trying to steady himself or not, he wasn’t sure.

He risked a peek from behind his arm first, blinking away the remaining sand which, without the strong wind, was little more than dust. His nose, lips, cheeks and fingers were raw, dry and sore, but he was not harmed. With his vision clear once more, he glanced around, panicked and calling Vela’s name desperately, the roar of the storm still ringing in his ears and making him shout louder than he might have done.

It was then that he spotted her, and immediately staggered towards her, stumbling in his haste. When he reached her he flopped to his knees in front of her, cupping her face and checking her over in alarm. Her skin was just as dry and raw as his, tiny scratches from the sand, but nothing lasting.

“You okay? It’s over now, it’s alright,” he panted. He touched her face in a couple of different places, gently and almost absently, before pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. Without thinking, he kissed the top over her hood. “C'mon, let’s get back to the ship, I think we’re done exploring.”

Still barely aware of much else, Vela watched as Dritz knelt down and looked her over, keeping her gaze on him no matter what. It was such a relief to see him, and know he was alright, though he appeared as lightly scratched and sore as she felt, his expression one of great concern.

She didn’t resist the embrace, putting her arms around him as well and feeling better almost instantly. The kiss on top of her head didn’t really register, as she couldn’t feel anything beyond him holding her for the moment. [I’m alright] she signed after they finally separated. [Yes, we’ll go back.] She chose not to comment further, standing on shaky legs and allowing Dritz to help support her, as he seemed to want to.

Once back inside, Vela found she had to sit at one of the console chairs to rest. The wind had probably taken more out of her than she expected. Hands trembling, she found the courage to sign to Dritz. [I’m sorry. I should have researched more. I thought it was not the season for these storms. We should not have come here, and it’s probably my fault. You could have gotten hurt.] The idea was once again enough to make her bow her head, feeling the tears coming back. She was much more upset than she could have imagined she would be.

Dritz shook his head, frowning immediately. [No. No, no, no,] he signed firmly. “You did nothing wrong, Vela.”

He moved to crouch in front of her, unable to stop from touching her chin to hold her gaze. He was unsure as to whether he was simply relieved they were okay, or if he’d never noticed, but her remaining eye was a more lovely shade of lavender than he had noticed before. After kissing the top of her head, it seemed silly to be shy about physical touch. “C'mon, you couldn’t have known. Neither of us had ever been there, it was an oversight on both our parts, but we’re okay, and we will learn for next time.”

He smiled, somewhat shyly. “I was real worried about you. I’m so glad you’re alright,” he said, patting her knee.

Smiling faintly, Vela tried to nod in acceptance. Of course he wouldn’t blame her, he wasn’t the type to do that. [You’re right. We’ll know better next time. Thank you.]

She touched his hand where it rested briefly on her knee, feeling as shy as he seemed to be speaking. [I’m glad you’re alright too. I was scared… I didn’t want you to be hurt.] She found it sweet that he would say so, wanting to also say more, but feeling more confused than anything.

Abruptly she realized they were still on the ground, and the storm could possibly come toward them again. She pushed her internal conflict aside for the moment as they worked together as a team once more, setting the Nova back on its course through the atmosphere, and back into space. It went just as smoothly this time, which made her feel a little more settled.

After she had set in their course back to Hesperus, however, Vela found she still didn’t know what to do. She remained at the console as Dritz was back by the engines, even though she felt the strangely strong urge to be nearer to him, at his side if possible.

The poor Aurian seemed incredibly eager to leave the planet, and Dritz couldn’t blame her for that. He actually was relieved to see that she wished to do so, and eagerly tended to the engines.

Once they were out of the atmosphere and prepared to return to the station, he walked back through to her, beaming. Even while he’d been concentrating on the take off, in the back of his mind he’d been thinking of other things.

Seeing Vela engulfed in the sandstorm had only confirmed something he’d felt for… Well, almost since they had first met. Hadn’t he recently fallen asleep while thinking about her? He needed to just admit to himself that he liked the idea of being closer to her. More than that.

“Hey you. You seem a bit more relaxed now we’re off planet,” he chirped, leaning on the back of her chair and ducking over her, appearing upside down to her. “You wanna go sit in the bunk for a bit? Just for a change from the canteen.”

Vela had heard Dritz approaching, but was startled when he appeared so close and upside down. But as usual around him, she found herself smiling as he was so often entertaining and endearing to her.

She agreed to accompany him to the bunk room readily enough, but was confused as to why he wanted to be there. Once inside, she sat down at the edge of her own bed and leaned forward tensely, concerned.

[I do feel better now. But is there anything else wrong?]

Dritz remained standing for a moment, apparently considering something before he finally sat on the bunk he had claimed.

“That depends,” he said slowly. Why was starting the conversation so difficult to him? “Uh… Well, I guess I need to talk to you about something. We haven’t exactly known each other long, I know, but… That’s the culture I grew up in; Chrysalans are fairly… Let’s say open when they take an interest in someone.” He looked up, taking in the sight of her, making sure he was willing to risk the potential rejection.

“With that in mind,” he announced, his voice firm and gaining confidence, “I’ve decided to embrace home and be forward.” He smiled at her, something in the action hinting towards flirtatious, “I like you, Vela, and I’d like to be your partner. Your primary partner. I dunno how it works with Aurians, so if you want to see how our relationship develops first, I understand.”

Of all the things Dritz could have said to her, she was maybe expecting this the least. Yet it was not an unpleasant surprise, somehow.

[I see.] Vela herself remained very serious, even though Dritz was smiling. It was not a light matter to her. She gestured for the datapad to type, just in case. “I do like you. I’ve wanted to be near you before. But is it allowed? I am not Chrysalan.” She didn’t know how anyone on Aurctas would have felt about it, since it had obviously never been done before. “What is a primary partner?” Handing the pad back, she watched him closely for his reaction. The thought of having Dritz as a mate was not one she felt opposed to all, but she kept her hope held back just in case she changed his mind.

Dritz’s antennae flicked gently, and he let out a slight chuckle, “Ah, well, on Chrysala, it’s common to take multiple partners. I wasn’t sure how it is on Aurctas, so I thought ‘prob'ly best to specify.’”

He shifted on the mattress, looking at her words again.

“Hm. Well, I don’t think it’s common, but it’s not… Frowned upon or anything like that,” he said carefully. He’d never heard anyone disputing the idea of interracial coupling, but then, he wasn’t sure he’d heard anything about it at all.

[We only take one.] Vela smiled faintly. Maybe it was more convenient to have multiple partners, for Chrysalan. [Will you want more someday? It’s alright.]

Vela shifted as well, lost in her own thoughts. There was no harm in the idea of having Dritz as a mate. To Aurians it brought a feeling of safety, warmth through coldness, an assurance of the continuing their race. That would not be as applicable off the planet, but she still liked the idea. And if there was no opposition to their being of different species…

[I accept], she signed formally. [I think it would bring me happiness.] She had to smile then, unable to help herself. [I want to bring you happiness too.] It was remarkable to her how true that was, how much she wanted to see Dritz smile back at her.

Dritz shook his head, holding up his hands, “I don’t want additional partners. Well… Not now, anyway. It’s never really been something I’ve thought about. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

He remained seated on his hands for a long moment, beaming and attempting to contain his excitement.

“I’m gunna come and hug you, okay?” he chirped, leaping up and moving to crouch in front of Vela, wrapping his arms around her.

Vela nodded. It was too soon to know, of course. They had so much to go through first with this particular relationship, it might even seem strange for a time.

Dritz’s announcement of the hug lightened her heart, and she welcomed it by putting her own arms around him. It still felt warm, and safe, even if she was no longer in need of such feelings in particular. Maybe it was not so much different than being on Aurctas. It also felt good to know they could do this whenever one of them might feel like it.

With Dritz’s position in front of her, Vela was able to rest her chin on the top of his head. One of his antennae twitched, tickling her neck, and she almost made an involuntary sound in her throat which was quite unfamiliar to her. Whatever it was, she soon pulled back shyly to sign to him.

[What now?] she asked, genuinely unsure. He had asked her into the bedroom. Surely… no, of course not. They wouldn’t be intimate so soon. She gave him the slightest suspicious look anyway, deciding to believe it was a sort of coincidence.

Dritz looked up at Vela, his usual grin in place, but somehow so much happier. He did, however, shrink somewhat under her suspicious gaze.

“Heeeyyy, what?! You don’t think-,” he held up both hands, a light blush spreading over his cheeks. “Vela! You’re so cheeky. How am I to know that you didn’t want to get me and my totally irresistible body in here?” He laughed, leaning forward and giving her a light, chaste peck on the cheek. “What we do now is anything we want. You hungry?”

It was Vela’s turn to feel her face warm slightly when Dritz turned her sort-of accusation back on her. She warmed further with even the briefest kiss on the cheek. If she had doubted this before, there was no doubt now. She was definitely attracted to him.

She shrugged, choosing not to comment on it either way. [I am, actually.] It had been a somewhat long day already, with the flight and their “exploration” and the storm, and now becoming partners… it had been a very long day, she decided with amusement.

Taking the lead, she headed to the kitchen area with the Chrysalan close behind her. [We should have something more special,] she decided after taking a look at what they had available. Of course, “space food” (as Dritz called it) was hardly ever anything fancy. But there were two packets of dried soup mix made from an assortment of vegetables in a meat broth, and this was on the special side from Vela’s point of view.

She started opening the hot water containers to prepare their food, setting them down to give Dritz a hopeful glance. [Tea?]

Smirking in a way that was decidedly affectionate, Dritz nodded, [Of course.] “I can hardly say no when you look so happy at the idea!”

As before, he prepared his own tea, leaving Vela to add her own blossom to the water, as it seemed to bring her such happiness. This time, instead of sitting opposite her at the table, he sat in the chair next to where she usually would be, smiling.

“We should get something special to keep on the ship,” he suggested, giving her a gentle nudge as she sat, “In case you feel the need again. It’d need to keep for a long time, but I think we can find some treats.”

While he was usually very cheerful, Dritz was near giddy with how pleased he felt that she was willing to try them as a couple.

With a shy smile in return, Vela sat down after placing a hot bowl of soup at each of their seats at the table. She was pleased that Dritz had chosen to sit beside her, and further pleased with the way he always remembered how much she enjoyed making the tea herself. With a soft expression, she watched the blossom unfurl into a blue shade not too dissimilar from the Chrysalan’s skin.

[What do you think might be special?] she signed as she let everything cool slightly. [What are your favorite foods?] This sort of knowledge might come in handy someday, she felt.

While Vela seemed to be waiting for something, in his blissful state, Dritz didn’t think to let his soup cool, taking a large spoonful. He whined at the heat, but swallowed it, hissing something in Chrysalan, his eyes watering.

“Welp, it’s hot enough,” he said with a weak smile. Clearing his throat, he stirred his soup thoughtfully, absently blowing at the steam rising from it.

“Hm. There are some quite nice sweets that I think keep for up to a month. They’re made of dried fruit, squished into a paste, made into little discs, and baked to preserve them. It’s a good way of eating fruit while in space for a long time. I mean, some ships probably have great preserving facilities for food, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a waste of your fuel and energy keeping them the right temperature. You’re almost always better with stuff like this.” He took another, tentative mouthful of soup before continuing. “There’s also lots of good sweet stuff from Earth, if you can get hold of it.”

Once Vela was sure Dritz was alright, as it seemed he had started eating without thinking to let the soup cool first, she pondered the idea of having sweet foods for special occasions. She hadn’t liked the drink he had bought for them the day Fera returned, and it had been mostly sweet. The cake had been a bit less sweet, and she had liked that better. [Maybe some that are less sweet,] she signed hesitantly, wondering if that made any sense.

[I’ve never had fruit,] she continued, showing him the sign for it at the same time. It wasn’t exactly a word Aurians used often. [Drying it sounds interesting, but I don’t know how that would taste either. Can we get some back on the station?]

She tested the temperature of her own meal, sipping at it quietly until she was sure it was cool enough, then continuing to eat. Eventually she lifted the bowl and drank straight from it, as she used to do alone on Aurctas, where manners didn’t matter in particular. [Hot foods are my favorite. I can’t help it. I’m not sure that will ever change,] she signed after putting the bowl down.

“You’ve never had fruit?” Dritz asked, both eyebrows raised in surprise. He touched her shoulder with a fond smile, “Huh, I’m sorry… I really do forget that you grew up somewhere so very different to me. We’ll definitely have to get some fresh fruit next time we’re around for any length of time. We won’t be able to keep it on the ship, but I think you’d like it, so next time we go to sit in the holographic gardens, we can maybe take some, if we can get any on the station. I think it’s expensive, but it’ll be worth it.”

He watched Vela tip her up her bowl, chuckling slightly before mimicking her. It seemed rude not to.

“Mine too. It’s weird, because Chrysala is considered to be so warm, but stuff like this; a hot meal with a hot drink, I think’s really… comforting,” he said, pushing his empty bowl away to pick up his tea, swirling the flower around in a circle.

Vela shook her head, but continued smiling as Dritz spoke. She liked the idea of experiencing things with him for the first time, and there was so much she had yet to experience. [That sounds good. Of course we can afford to get some. I’d like to share it with you.]

She felt a little shy then, watching him drink from his bowl the way she had, and then also turning her gaze to her tea. They both drank in silence, as Vela was deep in thought. But when they finally stood to begin clearing away the table, she turned to him with a serious expression.

[Warmth is very important to me, too] she signed, as though trying to explain her next action. Slowly she stepped closer to Dritz, concentrating hard as she put her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. Her main caution was if he would like her initiating such a thing when it might not seem the most appropriate.

The silence between them didn’t feel uncomfortable. Dritz continually marvelled at how this could be possible. He turned to face her, his own expression becoming one of concern when he saw how serious she had become.

Whatever he had been anticipating, a warm embrace had been the last thing he expected. Her head against his chest, and her arms around his waist gave him temporary pause. He wriggled out of her grip for a moment, pulling his jacket free. He pulled her back against him, wrapping his own arms around her, holding his jacket so that he could nearly fasten it around her. Sometimes he wondered how he could forget she was so slight.

“How’s that for warmth?” he asked brightly, squeezing her slightly.

Dritz wrapping his jacket around her in addition to his arms was indeed warmer, though she had no way to sign it to him. Instead she just nodded, turning her head a little against the fabric of his shirt. She breathed in his scent, which she had only caught briefly before, trying to find a way to memorize it. It was a silly thought.

She exhaled slowly, realizing how nice it would be to do this anytime they might want. Not having been close to another in such a way for years, she thought about how lucky she was all over again.

Eventually she did have to pull away, giving Dritz a smile, their faces close. She backed up quickly, however, unsure about anything beyond the hug for now. It was only the first day. [Help me clean up?] she signed, feeling awkward now and not waiting before she began picking up her bowl and cup, empty except for the flower.

Faced with Vela’s pale gaze, the two of them seemed unsure what to do. She remained in his arms, and the embrace remained comfortable, but there always something unspoken between them. At almost the same moment, they chose to pull away from each other.

Dritz was happy to kiss her on the cheek, but given that he’d never kissed-kissed anyone at all (on the lips, that was), the idea of doing it then had alarmed him. Was it expected? He didn’t feel at all confident about it, perhaps one of the few things he wasn’t terribly bold about.

He cleared his throat, going back to tidying.

“Want me to finish up here while you check on the coordinates?” he asked, slyly taking Vela’s dishes from her.

The journey back to the station was quiet, but content, with the two of them signing (and practising), and deciding what they would like to do on their return.

With such an odd day behind them, they decided to return to their respective rooms, where Dritz immediately locked his door and fell face-first into his unmade bed, unable to continue to fight the enormous grin on his face as he reminded himself that Vela had felt something too.


	14. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fera is a jerk, again. Vela and Dritz plan for a special trip.

Several days passed with nothing out of the ordinary occurring. The Nova had performed well on its first flight as an upgraded ship, and they took several much smaller trips which didn’t require landing on a planet. There were no problems whatsoever, and Vela and Dritz decided it had all been a success.

It was too soon to tell the same with their new relationship, but that was not going badly either. They were still moving slowly, though were already growing comfortable with embracing each other as often as they wanted to. They had shared another meal at the garden, and Vela rested her head against Dritz’s arm at one point. He had pulled her close as they watched the leaves moving overhead. It was a moment she relived in her mind often the next day.

Currently they were walking about the shopping areas of the Fifth Ring. Vela had become preoccupied with the realization that Fera could likely return at any moment. [He could show up today], she signed after catching Dritz’s attention. [Do you think we’ll be alright?]

The few days following their return to the station left Dritz in an almost permanent state of giddiness. Before, when he had wanted to hug her, he had dismissed it as his strangely quick attachment to her, and had instead nudged her in a friendly way, or thrown one arm around her. He hadn’t realised how often he had wanted to be physically affectionate until they were in a position where it was more acceptable. He greeted her with embraces, and said goodnight with them when they parted for their separate rooms.

He hadn’t quite gotten the courage to hold her hand while they walked (something he had seen a human couple doing and thought it looked like a nice way to maintain an affectionate connection), but he did keep her quite close on his right.

Truthfully, he hadn’t thought much about the pink haired prince, but realised he ought to start doing so when Vela mentioned it.

[I don’t know,] he signed back. “The sooner he comes and asks his favour, the better, if you ask me. I hate being in someone else’s debt, especially for this long.”

“Your wish has been granted. Here I am.”

The voice announcing this had been loud and sudden, and Vela turned abruptly to see where it had come from, accidentally bumping into Dritz along the way. Fera was actually standing behind them, which was more than startling enough. Had he been listening to them long? How did he know where to find them so exactly?

For that matter, Vela wondered why the prince looked slightly different yet again. He was always wearing a different extravagant outfit in white, of course, but there was also a change to his facial features and body shape. It wasn’t enough to make him indistinguishable from how he had appeared the last time, but it was enough to notice. He was also wearing a sort of golden circlet around his head which seemed to shine brightly when he even barely moved. It did look important to Vela, somehow.

“You missed me, didn’t you?” the prince cooed at Dritz, batting his eyelashes and smirking, completely ignoring Vela.

Without thinking, Dritz put a hand on Vela’s back, a gesture of protection and comfort, even though he turned his own (incredibly charming, of course) smile to Fera.

“Ah, the radiant Prince Fera,” he said cheerily, “You’ve got some impeccable skills, finding us on the station again. In another universe, I could have seen you as a detective.” He offered the crown prince of Coronus a bow. Something was different, but Dritz couldn’t quite see what. Perhaps the prince had cut his hair, or… had he slightly more defined arms than before? He’d never been great at subtle changes, he had learnt when he upset a female acquaintance by not noticing her haircut.

“Another drink, or is it straight to business, Your Highness?”

The touch against her back was welcome, and Vela moved just a little closer to Dritz, staring at Fera cautiously. She would be keeping him in her sight as long as possible, just in case. There was no way she trusted him.

“Goodness, but you do flatter me,” Fera replied, smoothing his hair away from his face slightly. Today it was loose and wavy, but appeared so shiny and soft that Vela had to wonder how he made it look that way. “I have my methods of finding you. It’s nothing you need worry about.” Despite his speaking this way, Fera was still looking down his nose at Dritz, gaze darting about occasionally as though watching for something. What the Chrysalan said next seemed to surprise him, however.

“Another… drink? Ooh. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were purposely tempting me.” Fera did appear to be deep in indecision for long moments, shifting from one foot to another in an elegant manner. “No. That would delay your debt being repaid even longer. And you want to repay it, don’t you?” His voice had become disturbingly sweet, and Vela moved yet a little closer to Dritz.

“Follow me.” It was a sharp, authoritative command, and the prince turned on his heel immediately and began walking with some amount of purpose toward the nearest air tunnel. Vela gave Dritz a confused look just before they began to follow.

“No temptation here,” Dritz promised sweetly, before needing to follow the prince almost immediately, such was his disinterest in this dance of painfully over-the-top politeness that seemed to have become the norm between them.

As they followed, Dritz signed to Vela to ask if she was alright, smiling encouragingly. Even if he had no idea what the favour might turn out to be, he had to admit that he was not nearly as worried as he had been initially.

[I’m fine,] Vela signed back, glancing up ahead at Fera and then back again. [He hasn’t gotten any better though, has he? I still think he is strange. And usually rude.]

Ahead of them, Fera’s head had turned slightly, as though he could sense someone speaking ill of him. He began walking faster, forcing them to nearly jog to keep up.

They took the air tunnels back up to the docks, but Fera was not leading them toward a part of that area where either of them had been before. There was more security milling about, and everything looked markedly better taken care of. Eventually they came to an enormous private bay containing a very large and very beautiful ship. Vela found herself staring in awe. She had never seen the sort of metal it must be made from, yet it had all been painted white. It was likely five times the size of the Nova, and composed of such elegant curves and angles that she felt there must be few ships that could compare to its beauty. Quite fitting for the beautiful prince of Coronus, of course.

“The Radiant Sun. I see I’ve impressed you, but I’m not surprised.” Fera had a smug tone, and he was smirking at them both this time. “You are very lucky today, because this is a rare opportunity. Not many have set foot aboard my ship outside of Coronal royalty. And the servants, I suppose,” he added with a bored wave of his hand. He glowered at Vela for a long moment. “I take it she’s coming too.”

Tactfully managing to avoid giggling at Vela, Dritz squeezed her close to him as he walked, stroking her arm for a moment before they released one another.

Up until they reached the Radiant Sun, Dritz had remained his usual self, chattering away as he observed their changing surroundings, though it was unclear as to who he was actually talking to. Upon arriving at the ship, however, the Chrysalan fell completely silent, his wide eyes trailing up the ship, taking in every angle and metallic gleam, his mouth hanging open just slightly. The ‘Sun was not his idea of aesthetically pleasing, as far as a Chrysalan could see, but it was immense, and immaculate, with an unidentifiable pearlescent metal hull that even he had to admit looked amazing.

“She is a sight to see,” he breathed, rubbing idly at his fluffy hair. “What is that shell made of? Is it reinforced white gadolinium? Is she that metal throughout?”

As if having only just caught the venom in Fera’s voice, Dritz nodded, keeping his manner jovial, “Yep. The resonance tube was for her ship, so she has a vested interest in the outcome you’ve decided on.”

Fera only continued giving Vela a dark look, which she responded to by staring right back. He seemed to decide he didn’t want to press the issue, only turning back to Dritz with a dramatic shrug.

“Oh, I don’t know what it’s made of,” he sighed, sounding bored. “I don’t handle anything to do with it, other than telling the pilot where I want to go. I don’t know the slightest thing about ships and don’t particularly care to. As long as it looks impressive.”

Leaving them to follow, he began walking up the ramp which led to the main hatch. The inside of the ship turned out to be just as immaculate, most of the walls and furnishings in white or pale colors as well. Vela eyed the pair of guards standing near the hatch warily. They were humanoid and quite large, but there was something strange about them which she couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“Don’t even think about touching anything,” Fera said rudely, hardly a welcoming statement for coming aboard a ship. “I don’t want dirty fingerprints on my ship.” He led them on, but Vela glanced at Dritz again with a raised eyebrow.

Dritz gave the security a grin and a nod as they passed. “Gentlemen.”

The interior was even more sleek and clean than the outside, though that was to be expected. Dritz caught Vela’s eye and, while Fera was distracted by leading them, licked the palm of his hand and reached for a panel, grinning at her. He didn’t, however, touch anything, instead wiping his hand on his trousers with a sheepish shrug. While he did enjoy a joke, even he thought that was… A little too gross. He couldn’t help but want to respect the ship.

“Absolutely not, though I can assure you I keep my hands as clean as possible. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish when you’re usually up to the elbows in ship parts. Even the cleanest engine can grime you up,” he rambled.

Alarmed, Vela had almost reached for Dritz’s arm to stop him before he wiped his hand against his trousers. She frowned a little, shaking her head. Who could know what Fera would do in a situation such as this? What if he knew somehow? Anywhere else on the station might be alright, but they were here on the ship of someone apparently important. Who knows what he might feel he had the right to do?

They walked into what surely must be the engine room, from the sound which quickly surrounded them. There were workers here and there, but none of them looked up from their tasks or acknowledged the fact that anyone new had appeared at all. It was almost like they were purposely ignoring the presence of the prince and two strangers.

Fera stopped in front of a massive panel that was easily twice Vela’s height. He turned to face them, folding his arms and pursing his lips critically as he looked at Dritz. “So. You can repair anything, right?”

Dritz looked around in awe. The amount of power on The Radiant Sun could easily sustain… maybe three Novas. Four, even? It was a bigger engine room than he had ever encountered, but luckily for him, there was usually very little difference in what could go wrong.

“I certainly can,” he said confidently, rolling his jacket sleeves up with a much more serious expression as he looked at the panel. “And if I can’t, I will research how. You’ve nothing to worry about. Now… what happened?”

Fera kept staring at Dritz a little longer, almost seeming to measure him up, before nodding. “Fine. You can look at it. I don’t know what happened, but I was told there was a problem. Like I said before, I don’t know anything about ships. And if you’re such an expert at engine repair, then you should be able to look at it and know right away, hm?”

The prince’s voice contained more than a little sarcasm, and Vela didn’t know why he was being rather hostile about the situation. Regardless of why, she kept watching closely as Fera stepped back from the panel, allowing Dritz to move forward and open it.

Dritz looked up at the panel, only somewhat daunted by the size of it. After a moment he grabbed the multitool from his pocket, spinning it in his hand with a flourish, shrugging his jacket off and folding it (royal presence and all) on the floor next to him. He went about removing the casing as usual, examining the inside. On first glance, nothing seemed wrong, but he was certain Fera wouldn’t have brought him to fix nothing. He hummed to himself, finding a large enough gap in the machinery to lean inside. There wasn’t a space large enough for him to climb halfway in as there was with the Nova, but he imagined the Radiation Fun’s engine 'room’ was that gap on a larger scale. Patiently, he ran some usual tests, calling behind him for the other workers to stand back from the other components for a moment, then giving them the thumbs up to go back. He leaned out, looking up and down the engine room and, apparently following a process, walked slowly to something else and ran a quick test on that as well. All the while he seemed to be quietly talking to the ship in a decidedly respectful manner.

Folding away the multitool and tapping it against his chin, he shook his head. “I’m really sorry, Prince Fera, but if there is a problem with your ship, it doesn’t originate here. Anywhere else been making odd noises, has your fuel consumption been normal?”

Despite not knowing much about engines herself, Vela had been watching Dritz go about checking it over carefully. She also glanced at Fera on occasion, seeing he was completely serious and also watching with an almost grim expression. When Dritz’s search turned up nothing, his eyes narrowed and he pinned his sharp glare against the Chrysalan.

“There is a problem. Why can’t you find it?” he snapped, turning away and striding to another panel. He pointed at it, and several others nearby. “Check them all. As far as I know, the fuel has been fine. But there is a problem and you need to find it.”

Again, Vela wondered why Fera was acting in such a confrontational way. Was there even a problem with the ship at all? It was making less sense the more she thought about it.

For the first time, Dritz looked somewhere close to upset and uncomfortable, but he made an attempt at a smile nevertheless.

“Your Highness,” Dritz said softly, “I don’t doubt your words, which is why I asked if there was a problem elsewhere. I’m happy to continue examining it f'now. I understand it’s frustrating, but she’s not telling me what’s wrong. She’s clearly a lady who likes her privacy.” He offered the prince a more genuine smile, as talking about the ship had comforted him some.

With his jovial tone back, he turned to the other panels. “Now, lovely sunshine, I’ll cover you up here for the moment, give you some dignity in front of all these folk.”

He leaned the casing against the panel, covering the inside for the time being, telling the Gradient Son, “I might need to get back in here, gimme a minute.”

He made his way to the other panels, running the same tests as before, tightening the odd fitting and cleaning up any dust he spotted (which was nearly none).

“So, Prince Fera, how long have you had the Radiant Sun? Is she perhaps your personal vessel? Oh, but I guess you must have more than one. Damn… I’m jealous. I’d love to have more than one ship… But I guess you can only fly one at a time. Still, though,” he chattered cheerfully as he worked.

“It’s my ship, yes,” Fera replied, still with a touch of irritation, but calmer than before. “And I’ve had it since I came of age. A while ago.” He was not elaborating too much, but Vela felt like he might not actually want to talk about it. “Well you needn’t be jealous, this is the only one I’ve been deemed suitable to be given. I should have my own fleet by now. But that’s not important at the moment.”

He waited in stony silence as the minutes passed further, with Dritz still wandering about, checking panels, and apparently chatting quietly to the ship. “Surely you have found the problem..” His voice was very controlled at this point, as he seemed to have mastered himself again. “I am very unsure why it’s taking you so long.”

“It takes as long as it takes, Your Highness,” Dritz sighed. “You want me to find the problem and fix it, don’t you?” He took a step back and rolled his shoulders, closing his eyes and thinking hard, tapping the multitool against his palm, his chin, his thigh, then back to his palm.

“Can I ask… What alerted you to the problem? A noise, reduced performance? I’m really trying, but without some idea of what started it, it can be really difficult,” he said apologetically. “I wanna help, but I really can’t see anything wrong. Your people have been doing a good job of maintaining her.”

Fera appeared as though he would like nothing more than to demand it should be fixed now and the problem should be apparent immediately, but he was clearly holding himself back.

“I don’t know,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know what it is. There is a problem, and I know nothing about this ship. No one tells me anything.”

For a moment, the prince looked absolutely seething. His skin was taking on a more reddish tone, and the air was starting to warm around them for some reason. Vela took an uncomfortable step back, about ready to pull Dritz back too, when it seemed Fera abruptly calmed.

“No matter,” he said airily, as if nothing unusual had just happened. “You can’t fix everything, clearly. I must say I am disappointed in you as an engineer, Dritz. I will consider your debt paid, but I’m not satisfied. I’m afraid I may have to seek you out in the future.”

With his antennae pressing back against his hair, Dritz frowned deeply, shoving his multitool in his pocket (along with his hands in a bid to hide their shaking) and levelling a firm gaze… At the floor. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t bring himself to look the prince in the eye.

“That is completely unfair,” he said calmly. “I have come here and done my best, despite your attitude towards us being less than helpful. I pride myself on my work, and like I said, if I can’t see how to fix it, I will learn a way. I meant it when I said that I wanna help, and I intend to do just that.”

He cleared his throat before gathering his jacket and putting a hand on Vela’s back.

“Give me a couple of hours to research, and I’ll come back,” he added.

Now Fera was starting to look angry again. Vela caught Dritz’s eye and shook her head when he touched her back. She wanted to tell him they shouldn’t return, there was nothing they could do when Fera was being so difficult. The prince’s accusation may have hurt Dritz’s pride as an engineer, but it just wasn’t worth the trouble it would bring to continue being around him.

Before she could sign to him, Fera was responding. His voice was flat and emotionless, but he did seem upset. “How dare you speak to me like that. I’ve given you all the help I can. And what have you given me? Nothing. I gave you the part you asked for and cleared you of debt. What more do you want?” He took a step toward them menacingly. “Now get off my ship. I don’t want to look at you right now.”

Then Vela did pull at Dritz’s arm, signing, [Let’s go. Please. We don’t have to come back. It isn’t worth this.]

“What’s she saying?” Fera said loudly, his voice going shrill. “I told you to leave!”

Despite his fear, Dritz took a step in front of Vela, his expression calm.

“She was just telling me to take your advice and leave,” he said reassuringly. “She’s on your side, Your Highness.” He nodded at Vela and made a move to leave.

“I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done to offend you. You know where I am when you need a favour,” he said quietly as they passed.

He escorted Vela off the ship and quickly out of the swanky docks, and only then did he seem to let out the trembling breath he’d been holding in, hissing something in Chrysalan.

“There was nothing wrong with his ship,” he mumbled, thinking aloud. “Nothing. It was in peak working order. Brand new, almost.”

Relieved that Dritz had the good sense to leave and risk further confrontation, Vela walked with him out of the ship and away from the area. She could sense he didn’t want to talk at first, but finally he did begin to. [Are you alright? He upset you.]

She moved so they could stand off the walkway and continue conversing. With great concern, she gently touched his arm before signing further. [You are a good engineer, so don’t listen to him. Maybe there was really nothing wrong. I don’t know why he would say there was something, though.] Wanting to comfort him further, she took one of his hands in her own and held it with her fingers clasping his warmly.

Dritz reached up and cupped Vela’s face, smiling softly.

“I’m alright, Vela,” he said cheerily. “I… Yeah, I was a bit upset. I reeeally don’t like having my ability called into question. I’ve been an engineer since I was first old enough to work, and before then too. I’m just a bit confused, to be honest. I dunno why he would tell me there was something wrong, and then get angry?”

The Chrysalan sighed deeply, pulling her into a hug. “I’m okay, though. Are you alright?”

Vela returned the hug for a long moment before leaning away to sign to him. [I’m fine. He didn’t do anything to me. I worry about you, that’s all.] Dritz had said he was alright, so she had to trust in him. She glanced around, feeling as though she ought to check and be sure Fera had not followed them or anything strange like that.

[Do you want to go relax? Maybe in the garden. I wanted to talk to you, anyway.] As they started walking again, she couldn’t help but continue, [He might have some reason for doing that. But he wouldn’t have told us.]

“You’re cute,” Dritz announced, giving her a little tap on the nose and grinning. “But don’t be worrying about me. Not when it comes to Fera anyway. I’m sure he won’t contact us again if he feels that way about my work.”

His antennae perking up once more, he nodded. “Sure thing, sounds great. Lead on, cap'n.”

They took a slow pace, relaxing. “Nah, I suspect not. Oh well. What is it you wanna talk about?”

Vela blinked, then gave Dritz a slightly bewildered smile. She didn’t really understand what he meant by “cute,” most of the time. She had to at least try to agree about Fera. Maybe he really wouldn’t appear before them again.

She took her time in replying, waiting until they had reached the garden and chosen a lovely tree to sit under. Dritz sat with his back to whatever it was projected upon, and Vela only hesitated a short while before sitting right next to him and leaning against his arm, in a way he could still see her signing.

[I was thinking about what to do next. Now that Fera is gone, we can do whatever we want. I know we have a lot of credits, but…] She paused, trying to think of what words to use. [We probably won’t be happy just sitting around and spending them. We could take jobs, I suppose… or something else. What do you think?] She held back the rest of what she had been thinking for the moment, not sure it was the right time.

The holographic gardens were still displaying the beautiful Earth autumn, and they found themselves in the same spot as before, with Dritz leaning against the 'trunk’ of the tree.

He cocked his head to look at her properly, “Nah… I like working, but the idea of having enough credits to do anything we like… Wow. We could really do anything or go anywhere.” He grinned goofily, “Why don’t we find an adventure?”

[I guess so.] Vela hesitated, unsure what he might mean. She knew it was true they could head off and do whatever they might wish, but she felt uncertain about the idea as a whole.

However, she didn’t want to dampen the Chrysalan’s enthusiasm. She shifted closer to him, so their legs were touching. “But what is that, exactly, and how do we find it?”

Dritz looked at Vela, his yellow eyes wide in both surprise and amusement.

“How are you this cute? An adventure is… Like… Going somewhere exciting and different that you’ve never been before. An idea that lifts you up, and makes you feel giddy. Like… I guess leaving Aurctas was kinda like that for you? You were maybe scared, but mostly excited? Am I right?”

He smiled sweetly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “So… Maybe we could just… Look at a map. Pick a random planet, just go?”

Vela nodded, though she continued to think over the meaning of the word “adventure” that Dritz had described to her. She supposed it had been like that, though she would have to admit she was more terrified than excited about leaving. It was a sense of bravery which pulled her through, despite nearly feeling sick to her stomach with worry. Aurians did not try taking such unnecessary risks.

[I understand. It was something like that, yes. I would like to go with you and do that. But maybe not a random planet. We should look into them carefully, after last time.]

Dritz had put an arm around her shoulders and she relaxed into the embrace, nestling against his side comfortably. She pointed at the datapad which he nearly always kept at his side, knowing he could bring up a map for them to look at now.

Dritz snuggled against Vela, enjoying how well she fit under his arm. He fumbled for his datapad with his left hand, unfolding it and bringing up a map, flicking the screen to bring up a projection of the system, with the station a small dot in the lower portion of it. The projection itself flickered and wasn’t especially high quality, but it allowed them both to look at it in enough detail.

“Hmmm… Maybe here? Looks like a fair climate, ruins… Cissansk. That sounds almost Chrysalan, ha! Oh, wait, the atmosphere would mean we’d need suits, that’s no fun.”

Vela agreed that Cissansk would not be ideal. She rested her head against Dritz, pleased by the warmth and feeling of closeness.

Her left eye glanced over the map carefully until she saw a planet she had a good feeling about, reaching to indicate it to Dritz so he could bring up the details. It was a planet on the small side, but had a breathable atmosphere and temperate climate with very few dangers. As it was so small, it seemed it was only home to a tiny population who were mostly there to care for the natural beauty it contained. Tourists were more likely to visit it than anyone else.

“Kirra,” she pronounced the planet’s name with care. [What do you think about this one?]

“Kirra, Kirra, Kirraaaa…” Dritz mumbled to himself in a little song as he skim read the information. “This looks perfect. It seems like a… Holiday place, almost.”

He turned and smirked down at her, “Why, captain! We have only just started this potential relationship, and you are already inviting me on a romantic break! First you got suggestive with me in the bunk room, and now you invite me there. I see your intentions,” he laughed, before adding, “I’m just teasing you.”

Initially alarmed, Vela pulled back to begin signing before Dritz had even finished speaking. [I did not mean… Oh, I see.] She still didn’t fully understand the concept of teasing, and it was only slowly growing on her to find it amusing. For now she was still too cautious of upsetting him somehow.

[What is that? I thought I had just picked out a regular planet. I thought they all were. I still don’t understand everything.] Remaining a little distressed, she kept apart from Dritz until she could comprehend exactly what she had suggested.

Seeming somewhat alarmed himself, Dritz took her hand and shook his head, “Nonononooo, you understand plenty. I’m sorry, I forget the sorta things that you might not have had.”

He turned to face her, setting the datapad down on the ground, which (typically) set the projection flickering before it settled. “It’s somewhere folks actually choose to go for no other reason, usually, than a place to relax that isn’t the same as their home. Like… When you have time off from working. And the reason I said what I said is that the other reason can be for a couple to go somewhere new with a more… Exotic atmosphere (the feeling, not the climate and air status) in which to… Be… Couple-y. Does, uh, that make sense?” He shrugged, his distress fading back to his usual smile.

Hesitantly, Vela nodded as she listened to Dritz’s explanation. It did make sense, or nearly. There was still so much to learn about the rest of the galaxy and the way other species did things. Some of it was going to take getting used to no matter what.

[That sounds like something my people could use] she remarked with the slightest smile. Of course, if Aurians ever left their planet, it wouldn’t be so much of a problem in the first place. [I do want to go to a place like that with you. If you don’t mind. We could leave tomorrow?]

While waiting for an answer, Vela leaned forward again and shyly put her arms around Dritz’s waist so that her head rested against his chest again. It was a bit of an awkward hug, but she enjoyed the warmth and the sensation of being able to hear his heartbeat.

The Chrysalan had opened his mouth to speak, but was hugged around the waist before he could say something. Vela had awkwardly flopped forward against his chest. A small gasp escaped him, but he beamed, shifting closer to avoid her straining her back, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, further burying her into his shirt.

Before, he wouldn’t have thought he would be the cuddly sort of guy (not that he’d ever really had the chance to find out…), but something about Vela made him want to hold her all the time.

Kissing her atop the head again, he whispered, “This is adorable, but you cannot be comfortable like that, surely? Why don’t we walk some more, or go and gather some supplies for the journey?”

He pulled back to wink at her, “You can always claim your head rest again later.”

Vela gave him a little smile and nodded. It was an awkward position, but for the moment had been the fastest way for her to hug him, as she’d felt like she had needed to. The desire to be near him was oddly strong, and she didn’t want to deny it. This time she had felt the kiss on her head, and glanced away shyly for a little while until she began to feel normal again.

They left for the shops again, picking up more food, drink and other necessities for a trip through space, one which would last a couple of days this time. Dritz kept up a bright stream of chatter and seemed aware of little other than what they were doing at the moment. Vela’s gaze was caught once by a human female with pale hair who was giving them an odd look and staring, but she stalked off before the Aurian had a chance to wonder if it meant anything.

The two separated for the night after taking the supplies to the Nova. The hug they shared before parting was warm and seemed to last a long time, and Vela found herself in a state of contented excitement for the journey to come.


	15. Kirra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela get a little romantic on their trip to Kirra.

That night, it took Dritz far longer to get to sleep than he had experienced before. He was not one to struggle with sleep, but he found himself lying awake, thinking about how Vela had leaned in to hug him while they were sat, a position that cannot have been comfortable for her, but one she had taken anyway. The thought, that she would almost sacrifice comfort for that, made him blush, a wide grin on his face.

The next morning they took off, working seamlessly around one another after having met up in the usual corridor, by the window. The rest of the time was taken by idle, yet cheerful chatter, with Dritz practising his Aurian, managing to form the odd sentence. Admittedly those sentences were ‘you are very pretty’ and 'I am hungry’, but he still got a small smile from Vela, which was an achievement to him.

The time flew, and it seemed they had arrived at Kirra in what had to be record time for the Nova.

With an enjoyable journey behind them, the Nova’s arrival found both Dritz and Vela rather excited, though they showed it in different ways. The docking process at Kirra was incredibly smooth, and the hangars were bright and well cared for, if small. Dritz was able to assist Vela as they registered at the main desk to stay for several days. Kirrans were short beings, only about four feet high and vaguely reptile-like, covered in soft scales in vibrant colors rather than skin. They were very friendly and knowledgeable, of course, but also did immediately assume Dritz and Vela to be a couple, assigning them double quarters without asking if they would prefer anything else.

The décor of the main building was bright as well, every surface with a soft sheen to it. Vela followed Dritz along to their quarters in order to leave their bags before exploring further. While the room was well lit and very fragrant, all the furnishings clean and in good condition, it seemed a “double room” meant it was twice as big as a regular room, but there was still only one bed.

It seemed they both were a little startled by this fact, as they both stopped and stared at it a long moment. Then Vela snuck a cautious glance at Dritz, wondering what he might really think.

Dritz had been almost like a kid, glancing around and making small 'oooh’ noises as he took in the building, the décor and colours, and its friendly staff. While he was aware it wouldn’t be considered an adventure to most, it definitely felt like one to him. Even a small one.

He had all but sprinted to their room, turning back to wave Vela forward, beaming. “C'mon, captain!”

His enthusiasm did dwindle somewhat when they reached their room and discovered the one bed; large and plush, probably the most comfy-looking bed he’d ever seen. His antennae twitched, but he seemed, surprisingly for him, at a loss for words. He glanced at Vela and then at the bed.

“Huh. I guess they thought we were smoochie-smoochie. If you, uh, don’t want to share, I’m happy on the floor,” he said cheerily. “Oooh, or on this thing!” He gestured to a curved, pastel blue chaise lounge on a domed base, flopping onto it in a provocative way, setting it swaying gently. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, “It’s just my colour, huh?”

Vela watched Dritz with an amused sort of smile, holding her hands up to show she was not sure she had an answer. [It’s alright. I sleep much less than you do, so we could always take turns. Or… we are partners. We could share.]

Suggesting this made her feel warm, and she quickly turned away to busy herself with the small bag she had brought from the ship. She took a few items from it and retreated to the washroom, which was also of a sleek design she was not used to. The climate on Kirra was not cold in the slightest, so she changed into the lilac vest before studying herself intensely in the mirror. Dritz seemed thrilled with their trip already, but for some reason she found herself hoping she was going to be good enough company for him the entire time.

Leaving the washroom, she gave Dritz a fond glance. [Do you want to go look around?]

Dritz’s antennae rippled as he tried to look warm, yet neutral, betraying his excitement at the idea.

“Then sharing does seem like the thing to do, doesn’t it?” he beamed. “And… Well, I’d like to. It will be fun. I mean… Not like I had anything planned… You know what I mean.” He had half yelled while she was in the washroom, but quietened when she emerged in her lilac vest that he was growing increasingly fond of. He’d already thrown off his jacket as well, and was waiting for her with hands stuffed into pockets, grinning.

“I sure do. Lead the way, captain!”

Rather than lead, Vela kept by Dritz’s side even if she was unsure of what to actually do. They headed back to the main area to look at some of the information which was displayed regarding activities on Kirra. There was something called “guided tours,” which the Chrysalan explained would be someone leading them around and showing them places, but she thought that sounded less intriguing than the open invitation to explore the planet at their leisure.

[We can go look around by ourselves,] she suggested to him, looking hopeful. There were a number of activities in different buildings in the immediate area, but those could be saved for later. [Right now I just want to walk and look at some of the plants. If that’s alright?]

Of course Vela wanted to see the plants. Dritz couldn’t fight the fond grin that spread across his face. [Plants for you,] he signed, moving to the door and holding it open for her with a little bow. “Shall we, my dearest captain?”

Together they made their way back through the building, out into the surrounding area. The lush woodland could be referred to as the grounds of the building, but Dritz thought that would cheapen the nature, which while it was clearly cared for, was not overly maintained or trimmed, left to blossom almost naturally, leading to all sorts of glorious colours, textures, and exotic insects. It also seemed one couldn’t turn around without finding a different kind of flower, or a new brightly coloured fruit.

“Wow. This is nice, isn’t it?” he asked, slowly raising his hand to brush hers where she held it at her side. He thought about holding her hand once again, but once again he stopped, instead pretending he had only just spotted some huge, orange and red speckled flowers. Their petals were nearly the size of a dinner plate, making the whole thing look almost the size of a chair. “Aren’t these incredible?”

The natural world of Kirra which they walked into left Vela temporarily stunned. It was all she could do to stand and gaze about at everything in wonder.

Originally she had thought it would be quite similar to being in the holographic gardens. But an actual living, breathing planet with so many different shapes, colors and scents was nearly overwhelming. It seemed she had to touch everything they went past to see it was real and to know what it felt like. Most of the leaves of the plants had a slightly waxy texture which she had never felt anything comparable to. One of them revealed a tiny insect with long legs and a spotted pattern; it jumped away so fast that she couldn’t even see where it went.

They made slow progress with her need to investigate almost everything. It didn’t seem like Dritz minded, at least. She felt the brush against her hand and almost reached back, but he had pulled away too quickly. [Yes, it is nice.] Turning to inspect the flower he had indicated, her eye went wide again. For the moment she couldn’t even comment on it, instead leaning over the plant as far as she could in order to study the way the petals connected. [It’s amazing. Can they all get this big?] she signed, not even sure Dritz could see from her bent position.

Dritz watched Vela with an increasingly affectionate grin. The fact that he was experiencing her fascination first hand felt like something almost intimate, a privilege. The way she needed to touch each and every flower, the way she leaned close to see or smell them. Part of him wondered what it would be like to come from a world like hers, to have never known how flowers feel. He suddenly felt as though he’d been taking his upbringing for granted. He had been able to see natural plants whenever he liked, provided he wanted the trip out to the farm buildings. His family liked to keep a lot in their home, but it wasn’t the same.

She signed something he couldn’t catch with her back to him. “Um, Vela? Captain of mine? Veevee? Velalalala?” he tapped her on the shoulder and gently spun her, “You know I need to see them hands if you wanna talk to me!”

Once she had repeated, he shook his head, “Nah. I think this one is just naturally big. Look at the leaves, though. It’s like they didn’t get the message.” He leaned over and lifted the petals, revealing white, palm-sized leaves with bright green, almost feathery tips. He waved the petal gently in time with his words, putting on an exaggeratedly feminine voice, “'Now, leaves, we’re going to get real big and impress this pretty Aurian and her weird friend, alright? Go!’” He then waved the leaves, doing his best impression of someone sleepy, “'Hmn- what? Whas goin’ on?”

Vela watched in a baffled sort of amusement. She had never seen anyone give a voice to something else before, and she did find the idea entertaining. The more she thought about it, the more it did make sense that different types of flowers could all be different sizes. [I see. I think this one is nice, but I like the smaller ones better.]

Something else was beginning to confuse her now that she was really noticing it. [Why do you call me different sorts of names? Like captain. Why not just use my regular name?] The stranger ones he had just used did make her frown a little. Maybe he didn’t like her regular name? But he did use it. Vela thought this must be some form of Chrysalan custom she was yet unfamiliar with.

Dritz grinned, putting an arm around Vela’s shoulders, “Well… I guess you could think of it as a form of affection. I played with your name because I like it, I like how it sounds, why wouldn’t I say it in different forms? Calling you 'captain’, on the other hand, is cuz that’s what you are. You are the pilot and primary operator of the good ship Nova, I am your first mate and engineer. If this were a proper job, I’d call you the captain. But it’s also become affectionate, really.” He shrugged, a motion which also pulled her against his side. “I just enjoy it.”

Despite the explanation, it was still a little hard for Vela to understand Dritz’s meaning. [I see,] she signed regardless, enjoying the feel of his arm around her. [I guess it’s just so different from anything on Aurctas. I can’t do that with yours. Dritz.] She made the motion he had decided on for his name, and smiled. [We wouldn’t change names like that. But I can understand if you like it.]

The part about being called “captain” was easier to get. [You do seem to mean it in a different way. I don’t mind.] She found it endearing, the more she thought about it. There had to be a way she could show more affection, too.

Soon enough she had put it out of her mind, however, remembering where they were. She gently broke away from Dritz and wandered forward again, touching every new plant and flower she came across. Her memory was quite good, and she would be looking up the names of many of these plants once they returned back to their room.

She found a delicate plant with a spray of pale flowers which spread itself out on the ground, deciding to actually move down to her knees and lean over in order to smell them. [I didn’t know they would smell so good,] she admitted to Dritz when she looked up again. [I think this is my favorite out of anything.]

The Chrysalan knelt down next to Vela, joining her in smelling the flowers. The scent was light, fresh and subtle to his senses.

“They’re nice, aren’t they?” He shifted so that he was sitting properly, then lay back in the fragrant bed of flowers around them, “Hey… You know how I call you 'captain’? How would you feel if I called you other things?”

Vela watched Dritz lay down in the flowers, immediately finding this was what she would also like to do. She hesitated, but moved herself over near him and lay on her side so that he could still see her signing if he turned his head.

[It depends, I think. What is it?] She was undeniably curious, but cautious until he explained further.

Dritz felt himself blushing as he turned his head enough to pluck one of the small white blooms from next to him. He reached up and gently slipped it in her hair, smiling.

“Flower. It’s silly, I know, but… Maybe you’ll like it?” he asked with a little shrug, gently toying with her hair. “I think it’ll suit you. It does suit you.”

Flower. Even if she didn’t fully understand being called a different name other than her own, she could see the affection behind Dritz’s wanting to use such a name.

She nodded, finding herself with a smile as Dritz placed the flower in her hair before gently playing with it. Being nearly as white as her hair, she thought the flower wouldn’t show well, but decided it didn’t matter. [I would like it if you called me that.]

It only took a moment of hesitation for her to decide to half embrace him for a little while, putting an arm over his waist and resting her head atop his chest once more. It was so warm, and only enhanced by the fragrant scent of the flowers all around them.

“Right you are then, flower,” Dritz chirped, testing the name and deciding it suited her well. He had been about to sit up again, but more than welcomed the sweet, somewhat shy half-embrace she initiated. With her arm around him, her hand rested at his side, just beneath his ribs, and whether she realised or not, she had found an area that was quite sensitive. Ticklish.

Dritz did his best to keep straight faced, focusing on the sight of her feather soft white hair resting against his luminous yellow and turquoise shirt. Slowly, however, he started to almost silently giggle, tensing that side.

Vela found she also liked the name, relaxing as she rested her head against Dritz’s chest. Soon, however, she noticed he was having a different reaction than she had expected. His body had tensed somewhat, and when she sat up and looked at him, he almost seemed to be struggling not to laugh.

[What is… wrong?] she asked in great concern, wondering whether she had done anything inappropriate. The idea made her just a bit fretful.

Dritz shook his head frantically, his lower lip quivering as he struggled not to laugh. Her hand remained by his sensitive side, and he eventually squirmed into her, squeaking, “Sorrysorrysorrysorry, I’m just… really ticklish on that side.”

He wriggled against her, trying to move away from her hand, which she was not moving, but as he tensed, he had brought it closer to him, only making the situation worse, eventually collapsing into weak giggles, his antennae flicking all the while.

Though bewildered at first, it didn’t take long for Vela to figure out what Dritz meant by “ticklish.” His laughter was actually quite amusing, and it all seemed to center around where her hand touched his side, as he seemed to be making it worse on his own. To her knowledge, she had never experienced something like this before. Soon she was smiling again, a little wider than usual.

[So… here?] She moved her fingers delicately across his side and then with firmer pressure, rather delighted when he responded to it. [I’ll remember that.] Her hand moved to the opposite side to try the same. [But only there? Can it be somewhere else?] She gave the other side a hesitant poke.

Dritz yelped, grabbing her wrist with a desperate, pleading grin. “Y-yes, it’s right there and you know it is!” he whined. “I didn’t expect you to use it against me so soon.”

He watched her prod him in the other side, and shook his head, despite wriggling a little. “It tickles a little bit, but the left side is definitely more so…”

He eyed her then, his grin becoming more mischievous, “You must be too… Somewhere.”

[Strange. I wonder why just there?] She sat back as he gave her a certain smile, shaking her head and making an unsure gesture. [I don’t know. I’ve never been touched like that.] Touching her own side produced no reaction that she could feel. Maybe someone else had to do it.

Before Dritz could think about trying it out on her, Vela quickly stood and pointed forward as a distraction. He might remember again later, but for the moment she had no wish to be experimented upon. [I see different flowers this way. And that noise… It sounds like the fountain at the garden.] It was a very faint noise, but chances were if the source was water, it wouldn’t be holographic this time.

Dritz had coiled, ready to pounce and tickle her mercilessly until he found a part that made her as bad as he was, but she seemed to be on to him, and leapt up just as he made a dive for her, leaving him flopped on his front in the flowers. He huffed, his smile never faltering, and hopped back up himself, brushing pollen off his shirt and following her towards the fountain.

“I suppose on Aurctas it would be too cold for that sort of… playfulness,” he said with the slightest smirk, signing the name of her home planet absently, as practice.

Hurrying ahead, Vela hadn’t fully caught Dritz’s words. Any other time she might have asked him to repeat himself, but the sight awaiting her through a clearing in the vegetation made her temporarily forget about anything else.

There was definitely a fountain, but it was actually smaller than the one at the holographic garden. The carved stone shape was lovely, yet she was more focused on the fact it was only a feature in the middle of a larger body of water. Vela had actually never seen so much water in her life, and had to stand and stare for a time before approaching it.

She was quick to kneel and place her hand in, surprised at how warm it felt. Glancing back at Dritz in obvious excitement, she signed, [What is this?]

While Dritz had followed and observed the exact same beautiful scene before them, and he wanted to be able to give her a good answer, he wasn’t actually completely sure himself. It looked as though someone had stuck a fountain into the middle of a lake, but it was definitely a being-made one. A pool maybe? But the fountain in the centre seemed so odd to him.

“I think… we could swim here, if we wanted,” he mused, leaning past her and putting a hand into the water. It was roughly body temperature, give or take specific species, and crystal clear, with the slightest scent that he could only describe as 'clean’. He glanced around, then at Vela, a cheeky grin on his face, lifting his shirt over his head and folding it, “You wanna swim with me? I’ve never done it before, not really…”

Dritz hadn’t given an exact answer to what it was, but Vela thought it must be something good if he wasn’t reacting negatively to it. She watched the fountain a little longer, but when she turned to Dritz was startled to see he was removing his shirt. “Swim”… did he mean here, in the water? Now she could remember reading about other species doing this, along with something called bathing, both foreign concepts to an Aurian.

[I would like to try.] Her hands moved to the fastenings of her vest, as she remembered from Dritz’s example that one did this without most clothing or none at all. Another strange concept. She slowed and gave him a hesitant look, however. [Do I… need to take off everything?]

Dritz looked at her, his hands frozen at the buttons of his trousers and the slightest hint of pink in his face. He hadn’t really put much thought into the… undressing aspect. “Um… No, I don’t think so. That might get us into trouble, I mean… I dunno what someone might think to find us both naked here. Best leave your undies on,” he laughed, kicking his boots off.

It was only once he was down to his own underwear that he began to wonder if this was strictly appropriate. He shuffled from one foot to the other, waiting with his eyes cast anywhere but Vela (a feat that proved very difficult) as he asked, “Is there… is being naked a taboo on Aurctas? Or anything like that?”

Vela supposed it might be a problem if neither of them had clothes on. It might make it seem less… innocent than it really was. Or she assumed it was, at least.

She nodded and undid the fastenings of her vest slowly, as Dritz was still speaking. [No,] she stopped and signed momentarily, feeling amused. [It’s not forbidden, but you would have to be very strange to want to take all your clothes off in such a cold place.] She gave him a little smile before proceeding to undress.

Even if she was not the most shy when it came down to it, it felt odd to take her clothes off with Dritz present. Maybe it was the fact they were partners now which was making her feel more shy. Undergarments for Aurians tended to be warm, but Vela had taken to wearing an older, threadbare set she already owned and cut off the sleeves for use with the vest. It was all in one piece, covering her upper body and down to mid-thigh, but it wasn’t too loose. She wondered what Dritz would think, seeing her this way, as she was only barely able to look at him in admiration. Her body had no need to assume a shape more appropriate for giving birth, so she felt she must appear rather unremarkable.

[Do we just walk in?] she signed once Dritz was looking at her again.

Of course, Dritz could not keep his gaze elsewhere for long, reasoning that if they were partners now, he would surely see her wearing less at some point. He took longer than he anticipated looking at her as he listened, the slightest smile on his face. Her undergarments were unusual to him, but obviously he had grown up in a hot, humid climate, where there was little need for extra layers save for the growing purposes of fashion. What was keeping his gaze on her, however, was her body in general, much as it made him feel wrong for thinking. She was even more lithe than he had anticipated, with only the most gentle of curves to her body, given by her lean muscles. They must have made quite the sight.

He looked around, his smile growing wider, “Uh… Yeah, sure. But you know what might be more fun…?”

Without waiting for her, he turned and sprinted to the water, sending splashing showers in all directions before finally flopping in, flapping his arms awkwardly when he seemed to realise the water was getting a bit deeper. Recovering, he stood sheepishly, the water lapping at his chest and shoulders while his hair hung in his face, “Splashing. Splashing definitely is more fun.”

Vela was aware of Dritz’s eyes looking her over, and she didn’t sense any disapproval from him. Despite what she had originally thought, she sort of liked the feeling. All too soon it had ended, however, as he rushed full speed toward the water.

Alarmed, Vela watched him splash about until she realized he was alright, then relaxed into a smile. It seemed he was having a good time, but she was unable to do what he had done. She had never been in water this way, and felt the need for caution.

She approached the edge slowly, seeing that the Chrysalan was standing rather than floating, comforted by the thought it wasn’t too deep at that point. Putting her foot into the water, she quickly pulled it back out, finding it a strange sensation. With Dritz’s encouragement she stepped in again, then placed the other foot, and made slow progress toward where he was.

The water felt thick and difficult to move through. Vela stopped just short of Dritz, the water having nearly gone to the top of her shoulders. She had to lift her hands out in order to sign, [This is… interesting. But I don’t know if my eye should get wet. It was never an issue before.] She gestured toward her mechanical eye, feeling a little disappointed about what that might mean.

Dritz stepped forward, holding out his hands to encourage her. For one to have never been in water like that before, he imagined it would feel odd. Like trying to move with someone holding on to your legs.

He shook his head, sending little droplets of water flicking out, “Ah, no, we should avoid getting your eye wet, just in case. Though… I imagine it would be alright when it rains… perhaps it’s like any other tech; it can get surface water, but soaking it is never a good idea.” He took both her hands again and looked down at her feet, or what he could see of them through the rippling pool.

“Hey, lift your feet,” he said, “I got you, don’t worry.”

[I hope you’re right,] Vela signed before letting Dritz take her hands. The water felt like it was holding her in place, but she hesitantly did as he suggested and pulled her knees up a little, surprised when she did not sink too much instantly. Then again, Dritz did have a good grip on her.

It felt much stranger to semi-float in the water. Vela glanced around a moment, but was unable to sign with Dritz holding her hands. Then she thought about how close he was to her, and her face warmed as she smiled at him. She tilted her head, waving her feet slightly under the water to show she was ready to do whatever came next. Further, she looked into his eyes closely, hoping he would understand.

The Chrysalan’s face lit up to see her trust in him as she lifted her feet, kicking them gently to keep herself afloat. He glanced down, checking she was okay before turning, swinging her with him in a circle with the water swishing around them in a pleasant way. He spun a few times, slowly to avoid making her dizzy.

“It’s weird, huh? Like being weightless!” he chirped, grinning at her. It hadn’t escaped his notice just how beautiful she had looked a moment prior, with the sunshine reflecting off the water to dance on her skin. He leaned a little closer to her, still holding her hands and supporting her, and kissed her on the cheek, only an inch shy of the corner of her mouth.

Their spinning in the water actually delighted Vela, and she smiled wider as she grew more accustomed to the weightless feeling, as Dritz put it. At first she had been feeling heavier, but was beginning to realize how much more free it felt to relax into the water.

His kiss near her mouth made her feel warm again, but it was such a happy and pleasant feeling that she instinctively moved closer with a softer look. Placing her feet down against the bottom of the pool, she angled herself up and returned the kiss in the exact same place on Dritz before smiling into his eyes for a long moment.

Soon she dared to let go of his hands and draw her legs up again, finding she could float better if she moved her arms and legs in certain ways. [You said you don’t swim. Does anyone on your planet? Do you have places like this?] she managed to sign before needing to focus on staying afloat on her own again.

Dritz, his heart still fluttering from Vela’s adorable kiss, watched her floating after he let her go. He took a step back, intending to try it himself. He lifted his legs, awkwardly waving his arms. At first he stayed up for a second, but soon began to drift down, painfully slowly, his face falling as he realised he was sinking.

He quickly kicked his legs back down to keep himself up. “Yikes. I guess I might be too heavy?” he laughed.

[Not where I growed,] he signed, shaking his head. “I think there are cities that have this sort of thing? But I don’t think everyone had quite caught on. Chrysala is… Kinda behind. Like, certain activities in other cultures were not introduced to us until recently. I think a lot of Chrysalans still think of water as dangerous. Y'know, since ancient Chrysalans hated water. So I’m told anyway.”

He tried floating again, sinking slowly. “How are you doing that? Are you magic?” he asked.

Watching Dritz attempt to float the same way she was amused Vela, but in a gentle way which she found difficult to describe. Maybe it was a growing affection, even beyond that which she already felt.

[I don’t think you can be too heavy,] she signed, resisting the urge to correct his misuse of words. She was also beginning to find that kicking her legs slowly was helping to keep her up while she used her hands to speak. [I see. I’m glad we can do this now, then. Of course you already know that on Aurctas there is no water like this.]

It was already starting to feel easier for her to move about in the pool. When Dritz asked how she was doing it, she seemed to instinctively drift forward by moving onto her front and spreading her arms out, kicking her legs in the water behind her. There was still something missing, she felt, but maybe it would come to her. [Move your arms and legs together,] she suggested with a smile. [Don’t be tense. Relax.]

Standing once more, having very nearly ducked under the water, Dritz watched Vela for a long moment. It was easy to pretend he was observing her movements while also admiring the way the very ends of her hair had somehow gotten damp, and the reflections from the surface of the water were lighting up her pale skin.

Clearing his throat, he tried once more, at first moving his arms a bit too vigorously, splashing them both a bit before he found a rhythm, shakily managing to stay afloat.

“Ah ha, I’ve-…” he wavered, thinking he might sink, “No, no, I’ve got it! I’m fine, I’m good…”

Still waving his arms and legs, floating awkwardly in front of her, Dritz beamed, “Now to learn the rest. Can’t be that hard, right?”

Vela watched Dritz with more than a little amusement, though she was quite proud when he actually did manage to float, if awkwardly. He was obviously pleased with himself as well, and there was something about his wide, happy grin that made her feel happy, too.

[Maybe we won’t be able to figure it out the first time,] she admitted. [We could come back again during our stay?]

An idea came to her, and she drifted closer to him with a few gentle movements. [Do you think we could float together at the same time?] At first she couldn’t come up with a way they could hold onto each other, but soon she tried reaching up to place her hands on his shoulders, still waving her legs slightly as she gave him a shy glance. It had been somewhat bold of her to move so close, but she found it was exactly where she wanted to be.

Dritz nodded, more than obviously agreeing that they would need to come back. The thought of even doing this again once more was pleasing enough, but they had agreed to stay for long enough that they would be able to come many more times.

His antennae flicking and waving with his movements, he held his hands underneath Vela’s arms, supporting her while also using her to keep himself steady. He kicked his legs for a moment before finding a rhythm that worked a bit better.

“This is so cool,” he said brightly, “I wasn’t sure we’d be able to do it at the same time.”

Without realising, Dritz had begun idly brushing his thumb over Vela’s arm while he looked at her. His eyes lighting up once again, he glanced at his feet as further colour spread over his cheeks, “I wonder if we can spin too?”

Feeling their floating was working well, Vela smiled at Dritz’s suggestion. Carefully she removed her hands from his shoulders and instead put her arms around his waist, hugging him gently before trying to start turning them in a circular direction.

It seemed to her that weight became much less of a factor in the water. While she might not have been able to move Dritz on land, in the water she found she had the strength to keep them moving more or less on her own. They spun slowly, but something about the situation made Vela feel almost mirthful. It was an emotion she felt she had no way to express at the current time, but longed to, somehow.

While holding onto Dritz she was unable to sign. Instead she tried to hold his gaze even though he currently seemed a bit shy and was even blushing. She raised her eyebrows to at least give him a curious look.

“Wow, look at you. What a strong flower,” Dritz said softly and affectionately, unable to take his eyes off her as they drifted, spinning slowly. He wondered if it must be similar to being out in space properly. He had never had any need to be outside of his ship while travelling, and so hadn’t experienced the weightlessness before.

They drifted quietly, comfortable in one another’s company, until Vela gave Dritz a look that he couldn’t quite decipher, but he didn’t want her to stop holding him for the moment. Instead, he threw his arms around her so she wouldn’t be able to sign, and narrowed his eyes at her in exaggerated thought, “You okay? You want me tooo…. stop spinning? You want me to… do this?!” He grinned as he stood and lifted her high out of the water, spinning in a quick circle before bringing her back down. “Maybe?”

Vela inhaled sharply the moment Dritz lifted her, incredibly surprised. When she exhaled, it was with a rush of delight instead. It seemed like the time to laugh, if she had been able to do so, and that was what she felt she had been trying to do before.

After he set her down, she shook her head to show that wasn’t what she had wanted, but her smile gave away the fact that she didn’t care. [It was fun,] she signed once she was free to move her arms. She drifted back from him slightly, an irresistible idea taking hold. [Try to catch me?]

She turned abruptly, pushing off the ground and moving herself forward on her stomach with her arms sweeping through the water in front of her. It was her bet that Dritz wouldn’t be able to get close quite fast enough. While she was enjoying herself, there was also that slightly frustrated feeling that the correct way to swim was so near, but she couldn’t completely grasp it yet.

Whether it was her delightful half-sigh as she was lifted, the bright sparkle in her eye, or the fact that they were having such a lovely time, Dritz found himself leaning much closer into her, nearly taking his chance to kiss her cheek again, or maybe her forehead, but Vela signed for him to catch her.

Before he was able to process what she meant and grab her, she had drifted off, quickly at that. He grinned, “I’ll catch you, easy!”

He flopped forward, very slowly and very awkwardly chasing her, attempting to swim with flailing arms and legs.

Enjoying the feel of the water as it streamed past her, Vela continued to paddle her way around the pool until she made it to the fountain in the middle. Looking back showed that Dritz, while certainly eager, wasn’t exactly doing such a good job at keeping close. It only made her smile, and she slowed herself a moment to grab the edge of the fountain and wait for him to approach.

As soon as he was near, she kicked off a little more slowly. This time she kept barely out of his reach and was almost managing to float backwards. Her expression was more than enough invitation for him to actually catch her now.

“I think you lied,” Dritz gasped, moving through the water with far more effort than she was, as though it was thicker around him, “You have definitely done this before.”

Mercifully, she slowed, and he was able to catch her, throwing his arms around her and squeezing. “Hah-hah! I have you! I win!” he said brightly, kissing her on the cheek once more.

Vela felt that same mirthful sensation again when Dritz caught up to her, though once more her breath would only leave in a little gasp rather than making any sound. That mirth turned to affection as the Chrysalan gave her another kiss and she pulled back to sign.

[No, I really have never. I just feel like… I remember it somehow. I know that doesn’t make sense.] She paused a moment as her expression softened, thinking over his words. [You are right, you did win. That must mean you get something.]

Dritz had already kissed her, but she could think of nothing else at the moment he might like better. She lifted her hands to gently cup his face, drawing him down the short distance necessary in order to kiss him tenderly at the very corner of his mouth.

Heart pounding, Vela moved back to stare at him. Maybe it should have been a kiss directly on the lips, instead? Would he have wanted that?

Despite the fluttering giddiness in his belly, Dritz was genuinely taken aback when Vela signed in this way that… Well, it was almost flirty to him.

And then she kissed him.

Okay, no, not quite, but…

Flush-faced, Dritz cupped her face with one hand, the other sliding around her waist and over her lower back, resting there, and he kissed her back, directly on the lips. It was fairly brief, but firm, and when he pulled away, Dritz seemed to have been left nearly speechless.

“I… Hope that wasn’t… A bad thing to do?” he breathed.

As if reading her thoughts, Dritz had held Vela closer and kissed her lips in a way which was sweet but left her feeling somewhat breathless as well. All thoughts had left her head once the kiss began, only to flood back in a rush when they pulled apart and he asked if it had been alright.

She shook her head, then quickly signed to clarify, [No, it wasn’t bad. I… liked it, very much.] It seemed not enough to say just this, but for a little while she only held completely still, acutely aware of his hand still pressing into her lower back.

[I wouldn’t mind doing it again. We are partners, after all.] Her smile was shy but warm. [I think for now I would like to continue exploring. We can come back here the next day.] Dritz seemed fine with this idea, and Vela took his hand in hers as they left the water slowly.

However, once on land again she had to look at her clinging, wet underclothes, then at the dry clothes she had left on the ground. [Do we need to dry off first?] she asked, unsure whether or not dressing was the best idea when their clothes would just get wet too.

Somehow, Dritz hadn’t expected the beautiful, romantic moment he got from the kiss they shared. He was aware of romance as a strange concept. The idea of basking in the warmth of another and making it so they felt that same warmth… Or something similar. However, he had half expected Vela to stiffen and shove him off, not because of a reflection on her, but simply that there was this niggling feeling in the back of his mind that she might dislike his kiss.

He was near euphoria when she led him out and his eyes roamed from the soft, damp hair at the base of her neck down her spine to the curve of her-

Dritz cleared his throat loudly.

“Hm. I, uh… I hadn’t thought about it,” he said in reedy tones. “It’s a nice warm day, why don’t we have a sit in the sun for a little while to dry? Or… We could find some cover to take off the wet stuff?”

Vela lifted an eyebrow at the strange difference in Dritz’s tone, but supposed he might just be cold after having left the water. The air definitely felt cool against her bare skin in a way she would not have known to expect. Of course, it was nowhere near cold to her.

She contemplated the choices with a half-smile before shaking her head. [We had better leave our clothes on. The sun is nice, we should dry enough to put the rest on soon.] A sunny patch of ground carpeted with soft grass proved to be the perfect place to sit, but Vela found she didn’t know how close to sit next to the Chrysalan. She decided quite close was good enough, not touching but more than easy enough to move closer. Aware of his warmth, she tried to focus on something not so… distracting.

[Maybe they have books here that list all the plants and animals on the planet,] she suggested in an attempt to start another topic. [I would like to learn as much as possible.]

Relieved that Vela didn’t seem to notice his odd voice, Dritz sat with her, doing his best to calm. The gentle warmth from the sun was pleasant, and his skin was soon drying well. He stretched his legs out to allow his underwear to dry a bit quicker, leaning back on his elbows and looking up at her.

“[They will,] I’m sure. I bet the hotel folk have some information, or we can look it up,” he said, half signing awkwardly. “We’ll get you all the knowledge you want!”

Vela smiled softly, leaning back on her hands next to Dritz when he agreed that she could find the information if she wanted it. It felt strangely good to be warm in the sunshine without wearing so many layers of clothing, and she simply basked in it with her eyes closed for the short time it took for them to become dry enough to dress again. Dritz was silent a while as well, and she did not look, but wondered if his eyes had been on her the whole time.

The remaining walk was just as pleasant and full of surprises as they discovered more plant life and even a few small animals. It was nearly dark when they returned to the guest facilities, where there were a number of delicious meals to choose from in a cafeteria-style building. Vela and Dritz chatted happily as they ate, though the kiss they had shared was never far from the Aurian’s mind, making her just a little more shy than previously.

They were able to obtain a rather thick volume covering local Kirran wildlife and plants in a small shop on the grounds. It was a little expensive, but Vela naturally had no problem with the cost, as she liked physical books and thought it would be a valuable keepsake. Returning to the room, they managed to spend a couple of hours just looking through it, Dritz pointing out various entries and excitedly exclaiming he was certain he had seen them, while Vela smiled and rested her head against his arm to listen.

Too soon it was growing late, and she had to put the book away before awkwardly glancing between Dritz and the bed. [Maybe we should sleep,] she suggested. [I think I can for a little while, but you will need the rest more.] However, she then proceeded to stand completely still, as she had no idea how to begin going about this.

During their comfortable silence, Dritz’s eyes had wandered to the Aurian’s pale legs, slim and elegant as the rest of her, with the telltale hint of lean muscle when she moved. Really, who wouldn’t be allowing their eyes to wander at such a sight? To waste it would be criminal.

The rest of their day, when he was not basking in her company, at one point even going so far as to boldly throw an arm around her shoulders in a way he felt must look very masculine and attractive.

After such a wonderful, newly intimate day, the issue of sleeping arrangements didn’t seem such a worry. Dritz agreed they would both need to sleep as he tugged off his shirt, throwing it over the ridiculous chair from earlier. He leapt into bed, kicking off his trousers and hunkering down comfortably. He raised an arm and beamed, “C'mere then, flower, and let’s cuddle.”

The use of the new name helped Vela relax, somehow. Dritz had thrown off his clothes messily, but she ignored that for now and began removing her own clothing down to her undergarments (which she had changed after they arrived at the room, in case they carried a scent from the water.) She folded them to place on a chair and carefully climbed onto the opposite side of the bed from Dritz and crawled over to join him.

It was then she realized that she did not strictly know how to “cuddle” as he had suggested. She supposed it simply meant being close, as they had before. She gazed down at him for a moment before lowering herself, facing him and curling into the space at his side, just barely pressing her face against his neck. He could always tell her if she was doing it wrong, or move them into a different position if he wanted. The prospect of resting against his body heat was already bringing her an incredible amount of happiness.

Dritz beamed as she settled against him, fitting perfectly underneath his arm and seemingly content with her position. They stayed quiet for a few minutes before he kissed the top of her head.

He’d been thinking for a long time about her unintentional tickling earlier, and where she might be ticklish herself. He let his fingers trail against her slim side, innocently chatting about their day.

“This is nice, huh? How long do you think you’ll sleep? Would you… Give me a nudge when you’re getting up?” he asked with a small smile in her direction as he let his fingers roam to her hip.

Vela’s contentment only grew the longer she stayed close to Dritz, actually making her feel the slightest bit more drowsy as well. Her eyelids drooped toward closing while he talked to her, the feeling of warmth somehow mesmerizing.

What brought her back into awareness again was his question, along with the way his fingers were moving across her. She sat up to face him and sign, a little confused frown on her face. [Maybe two or three hours. I might lay here longer with you, though. I can wake you, if you want. What are you doing?] She didn’t mind him wanting to touch her, it just seemed strange how absent-minded yet purposeful his motions were at the same time.

“Hm?”

The Chrysalan’s eyes were wide and innocent, a sweet little smile on his face, “What am I doing? Oh… Weeell…”

He took that opportunity to strike, grabbing her in an embrace and rolling her onto her back with ease, and yet with a surprising gentleness even with how quick it happened. He was able to pin her down and start tickling random bits of her that he felt wouldn’t be too far this early in their relationship. The crook of her arm, the outside of her thighs, just below her ears, her neck, elbows, knees…

“I will have my revenge,” he laughed, punctuating the actions with a quick kiss on her cheek, because he wasn’t a total jerk.

It had happened so fast that Vela barely had time to understand what was going on; Dritz grabbed her and laid her down gently, and proceeded to hold her as he lightly dragged his fingers along various parts of her body. Then she remembered how she had accidentally tickled him earlier, realizing he wanted to know if he could do the same to her.

Nothing happened immediately. She wore an amused smile as Dritz moved his hands in vain, then kissed her cheek and continued trying. It wasn’t until he reached the back of one knee, when…

All of a sudden she gasped, feeling her leg kick out in response. Instinctively she attempted to fold it up so that area was unreachable. It had been a delightful feeling, while at the same time she just wanted to get away from it. She was only then aware of her upper body shaking in a way she couldn’t explain, and she gave Dritz a weak smile as he looked at her.

Just as it seemed Dritz wouldn’t get anywhere with his attempted tickling, he felt the telltale jerk of wishing to get away from something. He glanced down to where he had trailed to the back of her knee and gave her a wide, beaming grin, “Gotcha!”

He didn’t persist long, however, leaning down and kissing her chastely on the lips once more.

“I will remember that,” he promised her, rolling them back into their previous position, pulling her a little closer than before, almost so she was laying atop him.

Vela could feel herself blushing as Dritz repeated her words from before, adding a kiss. She supposed it was only fair for him to remember, when she planned to remember his own weakness.

[I know how to wake you up now,] she signed with a smile that was almost sly, for her. Having him awaken laughing was a thought which made her happy as well.

Dritz easily rolled them both into the way they had been laying previously, and Vela marveled a little at his strength. She was enjoying being moved and held, but to nearly have been set on top of him…

She tilted her head up toward his face, giving him a tender kiss on the lips again. Ultimately she decided it was a little too soon to go further than that, holding onto the idea of sleeping atop him for later. She nuzzled her face into his neck and stayed there, feeling warm and safe in a way which meant a lot to an Aurian.

“I’m going to have to start sleeping in… armour or something,” Dritz laughed. He closed his eyes as they settled together, leaning against the soft bedding and finally beginning to feel tired. He looked forward to Vela waking him up later, so he could check on her and make sure she slept comfortably, and give her a kiss to start her day. He didn’t need to hope she would like it either, he had a strong inkling she would, after the day they had.

He found himself thinking about their kiss in the pool once more. It wasn’t often Dritz ever thought of anything he did (other than his work) that was perfect, but that moment was definitely something that he could describe as such.


	16. Orion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela and Dritz make a new friend.

The rest of their time spent at Kirra was both eventful and relaxing. Vela and Dritz were able to spend plenty of each day together, sharing more long walks and more time in the pool of water as Vela seemed to be making progress with swimming. There would be no more chances to practice once they left, unless they were lucky enough to visit another planet with the opportunity to do so.

No matter how much fun they had, they both seemed more than happy to return to Hesperus Alpha. The trip back was pleasant, and they were much more relaxed and casually intimate with each other, sharing more embraces and kisses, even sleeping in the same bed on the ship since they both seemed comfortable with it now. After a few days back and sleeping in their separate rooms, however, Vela was beginning to think she wanted a change.

[Can I ask you something?] Naturally, Dritz agreed. They were walking along past the hangars leading away from the Nova, having just completed a routine check of the ship. Vela stopped and looked at him seriously, then looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression. [I was thinking that maybe we could move into bigger quarters on the station, together. Would that be alright with you? It’s only if you agree.] All she could do was wait for his answer, hoping it wasn’t too forward of an idea for now.

While Dritz had never been Kirra before, he knew he would hold the planet close to his heart even before their trip had ended. It was almost as though the trip had been magical, a way for the two of them to come together more.

Landing and takeoff continued to get easier, and by the time they were landing back at the station, they had the whole thing down to a fine art, with Dritz even managing to sign the whole procedure as they did it, albeit with the odd mis-gestured sign.

Vela’s question had been sudden, but the subject… It was more than welcome. Dritz beamed.

“Wow, that… Yeah, that’s amazing,” he said brightly. “I would love that, flower. Hopefully you won’t mind the mess I make…”

Vela smiled, though once again there was the urge to laugh gently as well. These feelings seemed to come with greater frequency now, which she had never experienced before, and she almost wondered if one could practice learning to laugh in the same way one could learn to swim.

[Thank you. I’m honored. I had hoped you wouldn’t mind… Aurians are fairly quick at acting on a relationship this way.] She paused and shook her head with amusement. [I have been to your room before. I don’t think it was that bad… And I can help you tidy sometimes.] Her signing became almost shy, if that was possible. [I like sleeping in the same bed now. It’s so warm.]

Embarrassed, she turned to begin walking again, heading toward the offices. [We can arrange it now, while we’re here. I wonder if the double rooms are very nice.]

Dritz stifled a chuckle. “I’m glad I could keep you nice and toasty,” he grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. “I guess… Huh, it’s never really occurred to me, but it must be nice for you to be warm.” He paused, looking somewhat glum, “I don’t like to think of you being cold. Still, you’ll never be cold while I’m around.” He slipped behind her, wrapping both arms around her while they walked.

The officer they spoke to was a feminine male with dark blue skin and long white hair who flamboyantly and enthusiastically assigned them a double room, giving them until the end of the next day to move their things and return the keycards. “Don’t end up paying for two rooms~!” he cooed, handing them new keycards.

Vela found herself with a seemingly permanent smile on her face as Dritz walked with his arms around her, and they headed to one of the desks to obtain their new room. The Chrysalan was able to handle it for them as usual, once again making her think of how lucky she was to have him around in many ways.

They turned away from the officer with their new keycards and plans to begin moving their things, but Vela was distracted by the sight of a human standing a little further down the hall, a datapad in one hand and a look of confusion on his face. He also seemed to notice them moving toward him, but only glanced up at them for a brief moment before looking back down at the pad.

“Ah, hey. Are you two busy? If not, could I ask for your help? It’ll only take a few minutes.” Vela looked the stranger over, noting how he appeared to be dressed as a mechanic, wearing a faded jumpsuit and scuffed boots and having a generally scruffy appearance in addition to his stubbled face and wild mess of loose brown curls. She turned to Dritz, nodding to say it was alright if he also agreed.

Already planning to sneak off one day and get Vela the prettiest plant he could find for her-, no, their new room, Dritz all but ushered the Aurian along, eager to move their things.

He hadn’t noticed the human until he spoke, but he seemed to be a mechanic, technician or engineer, judging from the overalls and overall appearance. Dritz immediately beamed, stepping forward and gesturing warmly.

“I have more than a few minutes to help a fellow tinkerer,” he said. “How is it I can help you, friend? I’ve been on the station a little while, so I’m great with directions and good deals.”

Orion sighed quietly; it had been a long morning, and to find someone seemingly so helpful right away was a blessing. “You’re a mechanic?” Hearing this part made him lift his head properly at last and really look at who he was speaking to.

He gave his usual slightly lopsided smile as he noticed the gentleman who had spoken first. “Ah, Chrysalan. That’s great, I’ve been to your planet. Really admire you guys’ work ethic and skills. I’m Orion, by the way. I probably should have introduced myself first.”

Turning to the second individual, his eyes widened with further interest. He or she was certainly interesting-looking, but not in a bad way. “I can’t place your species, sorry. Must be from further out in the galaxy?” They made a series of gestures with their hands, which he immediately realized must mean something specific. “Sign language?” he asked, looking at the Chrysalan with curiosity.

“I sure am,” Dritz beamed. He only seemed to get more excited when Orion mentioned he had been to Chrysala, “No kidding? That’s excellent. Remind me to quiz you on where you went later, but for now, I’m Dritz, and-”

He turned to find Vela introducing herself and flourished, gesturing to her. Once she was done, he added, “This lovely vision is Vela. She’s an Aurian. If needs be, I can translate for you.”

He patted the human on the arm, “Now, what can we do for you?”

Orion found himself smiling again, listening to Dritz talk. He was clearly the enthusiastic sort, and based on his praise of Vela, likely in a relationship with her. He did enjoy seeing two different species come together and form such a special bond.

From what he also knew about Chrysalans, Dritz was likely honest and would not try to lead him astray on anything. It would be safe to ask whatever he needed. “Aurian, hm… Can’t say I’ve ever heard of them before. I pride myself on knowing a lot about life throughout the galazy, maybe we could talk sometime while I’m on the station… depending on how long I stay.” Vela smiled and nodded at him, and he turned back to Dritz.

“Thanks. Well, I’m looking for a specific shop, I was contacted on a job offer. I really need the money right now. String of bad luck,” he added with a frown. “I’ve never been to Hesperus before, but I’ve been looking at the map and just can’t find the place. Does the name ‘Telar Technicians’ ring any bells? I’m guessing it’s run by Tellarians, but I could be wrong.”

Dritz had already decided that he liked this unkempt human. Orion seemed level headed and polite, and being another mechanic was never going to hurt the Chrysalan’s opinion.

Dritz listened, frowning uncertainly. He had never heard of the shop. From the title, he knew that he would have been aware of it. Dritz knew every dealer and workshop on the station; he prided himself on it and made a point of making sure he kept good relationships with all of them.

“I’m really sorry, Ori, but… I don’t think there is such a shop. I mean, we can have a walk and ask around, I’m happy to do that, but I’ve never even heard of it,” he said apologetically, his voice soft and his antennae going slack with the disappointment of potentially letting him down.

“Ah…” A number of expletives had sprung to Orion’s mind in that moment, but it wouldn’t do in front of near-strangers who were only trying to help. “That’s alright. Yeah, if you want to walk around with me for a little while, I’d appreciate that.”

Putting his datapad away, Orion shoved both hands deep into his pockets as he walked with Dritz and Vela, trying to keep the faint stirrings of despair at bay. He needed the money that “job” would have brought in. He wasn’t about to start complaining to them, but so much had gone wrong in the space of the last week that he had virtually nothing left, not even for food or fuel. And then there was the other problem…

After they had walked around a good half hour, asking various shop owners if they had ever heard of such a place, he was more than willing to admit defeat. He turned to Dritz with the air of one who simply had to do something, even if they didn’t really want to.

“Thanks for helping me. I… well, anyway. You’re a mechanic. What kind of payment do you find acceptable? I’m not asking for charity. Just wondered if you allowed anyone to go into debt to you. I’m honorable with my debts, even though my saying so isn’t proof. But the problem is, I need some work done on my ship, and while I do mechanic work… this is beyond my level of expertise. See, I do a little of everything, but I can’t say I’ve mastered any of it. One of the problems of not being an expert in any one field is when something goes wrong, you can’t always fix it.”

He blew out an exasperated breath, running one hand through his hair in a way that just made it messier. “I’m rambling. My point is, much as I hate asking, I need a mechanic willing to work on my ship and also willing to allow me to pay for their service later, when I’ve got the money again. You interested?”

The poor guy. Dritz felt bad for Orion. Someone had clearly led him astray, and he seemed more than a little upset about the whole thing (rightly so). He patted him on the shoulder, shaking his head.

“Sorry, some people are just jerks. Not sure who told you about that, but fret not!” This time he threw an arm around Orion, giving him a friendly jostle, “To make up for whoever led you on a wild chase, I will help you free of charge. Consider it a token of friendship.” He held up a hand, “And I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’m unlikely to track them down, anyway.” The individual had been rather strange, but Orion could not identify anything about them in a solid way. Dritz had thrown an arm around him in a friendly manner, making him smile again. He seemed to have the sort of personality which was both quite friendly and the slightest bit amusing. Vela was watching them with a little smile, not able to add much to the discussion but also seeming friendly in a quiet way. He suspected that was her nature.

“Are you sure?” Orion’s forehead wrinkled as he drew his eyebrows together in concern. “I mean, well, I’ll take the offer since you won’t hear otherwise. I’ve got no choice, seeing as how I need my ship to earn more credits.” He nodded to Dritz. “Thanks in advance. I’ll take you there right now, if you’d like.”

They both agreed it could be done immediately, and Orion led them back up the levels to the docking bays and his waiting ship. “Here she is,” he said, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice. “I named her Destiny. She’s a great little ship, just haven’t been able to save up enough credits to upgrade her much. I’ve got tools and anything you might need onboard.” The Destiny definitely looked to have seen better days, but was very sound for space travel even despite the scuffed grey paint and slightly outdated components.

Dritz insisted, almost actively dragging Orion in the direction of the lifts to the docks. Even in if he had not been needed for maintenance, he would never pass up the opportunity to see someone’s ship.

Destiny did not disappoint. She was worn in the same charmingly scruffy way as her pilot, sturdy and strong. The Chrysalan’s eyes lit up, and he reached out to touch the hull.

“She’s amazing,” he beamed, turning to look at the other two briefly before he turned to speak to the ship. “Good afternoon, Destiny. Let’s see if we can get you and Ori back up, working hard and adventuring once more.”

He turned to the others once more, “What’s wrong with her? Maybe while I examine the problem, I could explain the bits that you haven’t yet learnt, so you can fix it yourself if it happens again?”

“Most wouldn’t call her amazing,” Orion chuckled softly. “I’ve had 'piece of junk’ and 'flying scrapyard’ tossed at the Destiny more than a few times. But frankly, she is amazing, and has taken me all over the galaxy. I’m glad you seem to appreciate ships in any form.”

He found himself further amused as he led them both on board. “You always talk to ships? I guess it would help them get to know you. And, uh… 'Ori?’ Have we known each other long enough for nicknames?” There was a spark of warm mirth in his eyes which showed he was much more teasing than being serious. It had been quite a while since he’d run across such welcoming people.

The interior of the Destiny was similar to the exterior, more than a little worn and the slightest bit messy. Orion wasn’t such a slob that he would leave trash laying around, but there were a lot of tools and even some personal effects scattered here and there. He led them to the engine room, continuing to talk in the meantime.

“Warp’s been impaired somehow. It’s not that it doesn’t work at all, I could handle that. But it’s slow instead. It’ll work for a few minutes, then stall out and just go around half the speed it should. The readout says it’s at full speed, but… I dunno.” He began to work at opening the panel for Dritz, then stood back. “Yeah, that’d be great. But it makes me feel a little worse about not being able to pay you. I mean, repair and a lesson, too…”

“Hey, you gotta respect them if you’re going to be looking at all of their delicates and fiddling around, my friend,” Dritz said sagely, before smirking, “And if I’m going to help you without any form of payment, I think we’re friendly enough for nicknames. Good luck managing one from my name, though.” He offered Orion a wink as they were shown the interior.

Dritz stifled a chuckle as he noted the untidy surfaces, thinking it must be a trait all mechanics shared, and that he was definitely fond of him already.

Dritz cocked his head. It wasn’t a problem he’d encountered before, and that fact made him slightly nervous, but he put his serious expression on and flopped down in front of the panel, looking up at the machinery within.

“Right, lovely lady, what is going on in here?” he muttered, leaning in. He ran the usual tests, looking at the fuel burners and the energy conversion, frowning at the readout. “Come on, Destiny, it’s not helping you to lie about your problem,” he said, running a finger down the reading and comparing it to the display and the sounds the warp was making as he engaged the test mode. He looked up at Orion, smiling, “So, you probably know about all of this bit, and I’m sure you’ve done it all yourself. Did the warp make any strange noises before or during the speed change?”

Together, Dritz and Orion located the problem in the initial energy converter, and Dritz showed him what to do for a “quick fix, if you’re being chased by Talanshii pirates or something” before showing him a more permanent measure, pleased he knew of a way to help.

“Ah… I guess you’re right. On both counts,” Orion replied with a sheepish smile. It wasn’t a thought which had ever occurred to him in that specific way. “I’ll have to give it some thought, then.”

He stood back but watched closely as Dritz inspected the engine and related parts, listening and nodding along with the explanation and fixes given. “I never would have thought of that, honestly. I guess the problem with doing a little bit of everything is that you don’t have the time to get really good at any of it. I can fix most basic problems for others, but a complicated one like this…”

Feeling quite enthusiastic by the end, Orion nodded eagerly when asked if he could remember in case it happened again. “Yeah, this is great. Thank you so much, I… really, really don’t know what I would have done without you. Leave it to a Chrysalan, eh? You guys are incredible.” He clapped Dritz on the shoulder, squeezing lightly. “I know you offered for free, but I’ll probably consider myself in your debt. I won’t be able to help it.”

He looked around to finally notice that Vela had seated herself in one of the chairs nearby with her hands neatly folded. She had also been watching, though quietly, of course. There was an air of mystery about her, Orion thought. He knew all about Chrysalans, but he hadn’t the faintest idea about Aurians.

“One of you have a ship, then?” he asked in an attempt to prolong their time together. Doing so made him feel awkward for the first time, but he felt he needed to know more.

Dritz felt a swell of pride for his people at Orion’s praise, nodding. “Well, I know I am,” he laughed.

He turned and looked affectionately at Vela. Something about her sitting there, a clear cut, pale gem in amidst the clutter and disarray of Orion’s belongings, made his heart swell with more than pride. He still could not quite believe his luck that she had wanted to embark upon a relationship too. Of course, the days were early, but damn, if he wasn’t the most excited he’d ever been about his personal potential-future.

“Vela has a ship, the Nova. She’s just as beautiful as the Destiny. Just as misunderstood by ignorance too. I used to have one. The Papilio got me here, but ol’ Pap understood our time together would be short. I had to sell him to afford to live here until I had stable work,” he explained, rambling.

“Really,” Orion responded, surprised. “Well, if the Nova is just as beautiful and misunderstood, I can’t help but think I’d like to visit her, if that’s an idea that’d be alright with you.” He looked at Vela, who nodded in a way he felt was both gracious and with some surprise of her own.

They left the Destiny behind for the moment, and the Aurian led the way to her own ship. Orion was in awe for a little while, able to see the ship was old, quite alien in some ways, but had been upgraded here and there to make for a distinctly unique vessel. His amazement must have showed, because Vela invited him (through Dritz’s interpretation) to come onboard and take a closer look. He wandered through the interior, listening to the Chrysalan explaining various parts of the layout, and felt himself almost in a daze at how remarkable it all was.

Once they were back in the docking bay, he was again left with the awkward sense of not knowing how to continue their encounter without seeming suspicious. Fortunately for him, Vela began signing to Dritz in a way that seemed purposeful.

Despite the Nova not being his own ship, he was still incredibly passionate about her, and felt proud that Orion could see her beauty. Given the human’s own ship, he had a feeling he would see it.

Vela had nudged him, and started signing, her eyes kind as she suggested offering Orion a meal. Of course, Dritz immediately agreed, “That’s a great idea!”

He turned to the scruffy mechanic and beamed, “You hungry? Wanna come and get something to eat with us? My treat!”

“Ah…” Orion glanced between Dritz and Vela in a state of almost complete bewilderment. “You know, I think I’ll take you up on that offer. Feels impossible to escape you two trying to take care of me,” he chuckled. He knew they probably wouldn’t accept a refusal, and the emptiness in his stomach was most insistent that he do as they asked. “But hey, at least let me treat you both sometime in return, when I’m more financial again.”

The pair knew where to go much better than Orion did, so he kept close by their side as they headed to their destination. The shop was small, but warm and friendly with soft lighting and the sound of pleasant chatter coming from within. “How did you know?” he sighed, looking over the menu on the plaque outside. They were serving a wide variety of both noodle and rice dishes, and it was his favorite sort of good, plain food.

It was difficult, but Orion managed to hold himself back enough to only get a medium-sized portion of rice with stir-fried vegetables and meat. He thought he could eat several large plates, hungry as he felt, but knew that wouldn’t be the best idea in the end. He glanced up at Vela across from him, somehow amused at the way she daintily sipped straight from the bowl of broth she had ordered, but quickly forgot everything else when he set into the food on his plate.

“Amazing how good food tastes when you haven’t had much for a while,” he said in between bites, managing to at least be a bit careful with his manners.

Dritz ordered his own large portion of noodles topped with a generous helping of leafy green and red vegetables, and happily paid for their meals. He thought that Orion might have ordered more, but decided not to push the subject, thinking he could perhaps offer to buy something sweet for them to take and have later. It had only just occurred to him when the other man spoke that he potentially hadn’t eaten for more than a while, and he didn’t like to think of the mechanic going hungry. He remembered a short period of distrust and prejudice he experienced when he was working on a different planet. He’d been new, and not many of the residents wanted to trust a Chrysalan, thinking he might be too good at something and take someone’s job, making them redundant and unemployed. He’d only gone a few days without a proper meal, but it was enough for him to understand how difficult it could be to focus on an empty stomach.

“Right, when we’re done here, we’re getting you some things to keep you going until you get that next paid job. Just some dehydrated meals to keep on the Destiny, to keep you going. Nothing expensive for you to feel guilty about, though,” he announced, tapping his fork on his bowl.

Orion nodded, not even bothering to be surprised or protest at all. They were already friends who were just looking out for him, and he vowed to himself that he would find a way to repay them someday. “Alright. Thanks a lot, again. My saviors,” he added with his slightly lopsided smile.

He pushed his plate forward when he had finished, actually feeling full and content for the first time in… he didn’t want to think about it. “I’m in no rush. I thought I’d like to learn a little more about you both, if you don’t mind?”

Neither of them protested this idea, and Orion cleared his throat as he thought about them together to begin with. “So… ah… I hope this isn’t too forward of me, but are you two… A couple? Because I was thinking, uh, you’re actually pretty adorable together if so.” He was grinning awkwardly, a little envious at the same time. It was hard to find someone willing to be interested in a traveler such as himself.

Dritz smiled triumphantly, pleased that Orion didn’t bother to protest, because the poor guy wouldn’t win that argument.

Orion’s question surprised him, however, and he glanced at Vela, barely hiding a cheeky grin. He had not realised they were so obvious, but he did recall how he had introduced her.

“We are, actually. Relatively new to each other, but no less happy, I’d say. Of course, I wouldn’t wanna speak for you, flower,” he said gleefully, again looking to Vela, ready to translate anything she wanted to say.

Vela smiled shyly in return, also pleased that Orion had mentioned his suspicion of them as a couple. [I am very happy,] she signed for both Dritz and Orion’s benefit. [Dritz has been kind to me, and he is amusing and very warm.]

Realizing what she had said, she gave the Chrysalan an embarrassed look. Maybe that had not been the best description to an outsider, but to her it was all very important. She hoped it hadn’t been inappropriate, but did wonder if Dritz would translate her exactly or not.

Either way, Orion didn’t seem to think it strange. “Ah, that’s great. Congratulations. So… how did you meet? On her planet? Or on yours?” Vela let Dritz handle that answer, though she continued to watch him with interest.

As Dritz translated, he couldn’t help the pride in his voice. He liked being amusing and warm a lot, and wanted others to know this about him.

“We actually met on the station! Can you believe that? I mean, probably, but still, I can’t imagine many couples meet this way, especially not mixed species ones. At least not on this station. It’s not exactly a place for pleasure,” the Chrysalan laughed. “But how about you? Good looking, ssskillful hands… It’s the tinkerer’s curse-” he smiled goofily, preening, “You must have a companion somewhere?”

“That’s pretty amazing,” Orion agreed, his smile warm. As much as he knew about them, the pair in front of him did appear suited as opposites. Vela was calmer and naturally quiet, while Dritz had more energy and seemed inclined to chatter. It was amusing to watch them, in a way. “I wish you luck with your future.”

When asked about himself, he shrugged his shoulders in a good-natured way. The way Dritz had phrased the question made him laugh a little, however. “Nah, not me. Sometimes I think about it… might be nice. But I travel a lot, finding temporary work wherever I can. Guess my wanderlust is stronger than any other sort I might have.” He snorted softly, unsure why he felt the need to make such a joke. “Most people don’t want to settle into my lifestyle. But I wouldn’t say a relationship could be out of the question… someday.”

He shifted in his seat, glancing at Dritz again. “Speaking of work, you said you’d sold your ship to look for steady work. Did you find it? Just curious, I’m not looking for a steady job, myself.”

Orion’s explanation seemed very apt, even with what little he knew of the other man so far. He was sure, however, that someone would definitely snap him up one day. Someone with the same head for adventure that Orion apparently had, if that was in fact what he wanted. He wondered briefly if he and Vela seemed odd to an outside perspective, with their very different communication and appearance. No matter the answer, he thought he didn’t really mind. They were odd together, but that only made him more proud.

“Poor 'Pap. He’s the reason I kept from begging in the streets, though! It took a little while, and I still sort of work for some of the mechanics near the docks, but mostly I work for myself and just offer my expertise when they need me. Selling the ship allowed me enough credits to keep a bed for long enough to establish myself as someone to go to,” he shrugged, beaming. “What are you looking for, then? Enough money to finance your wanderlust, at a guess?” He chortled at his own little joke.

Orion nodded, impressed at what Dritz had accomplished even if he was unable to understand wanting such a life. He wanted to travel no matter what, though how long that would last, he couldn’t say. “I’m glad you could get where you wanted to be. Yeah, well… in a matter of speaking, I guess. I work where I can in order to travel more. I’d prefer to be working over anything else, actually. I can do almost anything: repair, maintenance, escort, asteroid mining, transport… I’d go on, but you get the point.”

He settled back in his chair with a sigh, giving off the impression he was now deep in thought. “Guess I wonder how long I can keep going, sometimes. It’s a big galaxy with lots of places to see and all kinds of people to meet, but… I was born in space, you know. Human parents, but I’ve never been to Earth. I’m not sure what to consider myself,” he chuckled softly. “Was it difficult to leave Chrysala at all?” He didn’t ask Vela yet, wanting to save trying to learn about her for all at once.

“A jack of all trades,” Dritz said brightly. “That’ll serve you well… In fact, I bet it probably already has! You should be fine finding small jobs to keep you going.”

He watched Orion with a small smile. His favourite people to speak to were always similar; they had deep passion that they worked hard for. Vela and Orion both had that wonder for the galaxy and all it had to offer. He quite looked forward to sitting back and letting the two of them talk to one another.

“It was. You know about my folk, we have large families. I had a lot of goodbyes,” he said. “I suppose you gotta think 'which do I want more’, and what I wanted more was to see some of the galaxy while I worked. Mainly new people, though, and the station is great for that, so it suits me for the moment.”

After a comfortable pause, he added, “And hey, only you can decide how long you keep going, Ori. But I think if you decide to settle, you might get restless? Just seems like it’d happen that way.”

Orion leaned back in his chair, nodding. “I can imagine. I remember that, yeah. It’s good that you were able to make your choice and carry it through. And I’m sure you’ll be back to visit plenty.”

He sighed, eyes roaming about the room. Was what Dritz had said really so true? It felt like it. “Yeah, at this stage in my life, I think so. In fact, even right this moment… I feel a little restless.” He gave the faintest smile. “So it’s travel for me, for now. Which I can carry on sooner thanks to the two of you.”

With another grateful look for both of them, he felt he had finally reached the point where he couldn’t wait anymore. His gaze settled on Vela with a determined sort of interest. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” She shook her head, which indicated clearly enough that she didn’t mind. “Great. Uh… well, let’s start basic. What is your planet like? And Aurians? Are they all sort of like you, or very different?”

He watched her carefully as she signed in response, then had to look at Dritz to translate. It was a bit of a weird experience, but he thought he’d get used to it quickly.

Dritz watched carefully as Vela signed. She was mercifully slow for his benefit, and when he repeated her words, he looked back at her periodically to ensure he was telling Orion exactly as she meant him to hear.

“Aurctas is very cold and icy, lots of snow,” he said carefully, “You’re gunna have to be patient with me, I’ve only been learning her signs for a little while. Aurians are mostly like Vela, and share a lot of the same traits, physically speaking.” He glanced at the Aurian herself for clarification, as it was something he was learning at the same time as Orion, “Pale hair, skin and eyes? Yeah. Pretty small, lean build overall? Not that I observe that so much.” He gave Vela a vaguely flirtatious smirk before his face flushed as he remembered he was supposed to be translating, not flirting.

“So it’s a good distance away from its sun, then,” Orion murmured, watching Vela as Dritz translated. She seemed to have a habit of keeping herself quite poised, and he wondered without asking whether all Aurians behaved similar. Her reaction to Dritz’s mild flirting was slow, as if she found such things difficult to catch onto, but then she gave him a faint smile and shook her head firmly. Orion found himself smiling as well, thinking she was telling him it wasn’t the right time.

“Not a lot of diversity, fairly undiluted by any other species. Got it,” Orion continued, as though attempting to memorize everything he was told. “What about your language? Can you speak at all, or is it through signs only?”

Vela shook her head, but she also opened her mouth to speak. “Little,” she managed. It almost sounded as though the effort strained her too much, because she stopped after that.

“I see. With at least the ability for speech, maybe with enough practice…” He continued studying her closely. “What is it the Aurians are doing on Aurctas? Since it’s obviously not your home planet, unless it’s currently under a global ice age. And I doubt that.”

Dritz looked decidedly pleased with Vela for her effort to speak aloud, and he gave her a little pat on the leg.

Though he didn’t know a lot about it himself, Dritz could tell that Vela was uncomfortable with the question, and she signed to Orion in a way he recognised.

“Aurians left their home planet a looong time ago,” he explained, “And make a living for themselves by mining there now.” He paused, before thinking he might be able to steer the conversation away for her, “What about you, you said you were born in space? On a station? Or a ship?”

Slightly puzzled, Orion watched the reactions of both Dritz and Vela to his questions, and could tell the Aurian didn’t really want to talk about it. Mining on a cold planet wasn’t much of a life, and her response hadn’t indicated any particular enthusiasm for the practice. There must be something else, but Dritz had quickly changed the topic. Orion could let it go, but he resolved to look up as much information as he could about her people once they parted ways.

“Sounds interesting. Ah, I was born on a ship. Guess you might not know, but that’s why my name is 'Orion.’ I was apparently born in the Orion Sector near Earth. Us humans have some strange customs.” He shook his head, amused. “We also say a child born in space can be taken with an irresistible urge to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. That much might be true, considering the way I turned out.”

He paused a moment, shaking his head. “Never did feel like visiting Earth. Why did you leave Aurctas? Anyone come with you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Vela didn’t seem to mind too much, slowly signing and allowing Dritz to interpret again.

“Yeah, I’ve never met a dull human yet,” Dritz agreed, chuckling. Of course, Orion didn’t need to know how few humans Dritz had actually met and spoken to. The custom and belief seemed odd, but he thought them nice, and listened intently.

He watched Vela sign, seemingly more comfortable than before, and he smiled as he interpreted for her, “Vela just wanted to explore, I guess kind of like you, and she came alone in the Nova. What adventurers I’m surrounded by!”

“That’s always a good reason,” Orion agreed. “I kind of like the sound of being called an adventurer. Never thought of it quite like that.”

He settled back into his chair, looking between them comfortably for a time. “Thanks again, both of you, for everything. Like I’ve said, you really helped me out. It’s been great to meet and talk with you, and to think of you as friends already.” He gave them a smile, but then sighed. “Hate to say it, but I keep thinking about heading off and making some money to keep going again. So maybe it’s better we look into getting those supplies now.”

He stood with his empty plate, then paused. “Hey, is there some way I could keep in contact? I’d really like to meet up again someday. And I’d like to repay you somehow, too. And this time it’s me who won’t take no for an answer.”

Dritz stood and slapped Orion on the shoulder in the friendly way he had seen other humans do to one another, grinning. “Pleasure’s all ours, Ori,” he chirped, flourishing with his hand and producing a business card with his details. “I think no matter where Vela an’ I end up, we’ll probably come back here often. That’s all my messenger and holonet info, just drop me a line any time!”

He wrapped an arm around each of them, squeezing them happily, “Of course, of course. Take your time, though. Now, my impossibly attractive friends, let’s go and get this man some fuel to do his job.”

“Huh,” Orion replied in response to being handed a card, looking it over closely. “Why haven’t I ever thought of this? Maybe when I’m more financial, I should have cards made. Might expand my 'business’ a little. Thanks, I’ll keep in touch when I’m able.”

He responded awkwardly to the half embrace, at least managing to pat them both on the arm. Vela gently touched him back with delicate fingers on his own arm, but he thought to himself that she might have some sort of surprising strength that was maybe not so physical as a Chrysalan’s would be.

They made rather quick work of purchasing him some basic supplies and enough fuel to make it to the next station, proving that Dritz did know his way around Hesperus pretty well. Orion was impressed, promising he would also return soon enough, as he did like the look of the place from what he had seen so far. Arriving back at the Destiny, they transferred the supplies and Orion shook both of their hands before standing back to look them over once more with a smile. Dritz’s bulkier frame and brighter cheerfulness compared to Vela’s slender shape and pale composure tugged at his heart in a way which actually seemed fond, something he hadn’t experienced much lately.

“Thanks again,” he said pleasantly, leaning in closer to Dritz for a moment in order to lower his voice. “Take care of her, yeah? You’re a lucky guy.” He stepped back and bowed his head a little to Vela. “Enjoy your time in the galaxy. It’s an amazing place.” She gave him a smile, making a gesture which he somehow could guess meant 'goodbye,’ and repeated it back to her.

With Orion stocked up with fuel for both ship and body, Dritz and Vela escorted him back to the Destiny. As he hugged the scruffy mechanic, he nodded. He wanted nothing more than to take care of Vela, his flower. The thought of not being able to do so, or not achieving that, worried him. Of course, Orion didn’t need to know these things so early, but Dritz would remember the words.

Seeing the human mimic Vela’s motions gave him a warm, fluttering feeling, because he imagined such a gesture would mean a lot to her. For someone who was nearly a stranger to attempt her language… He did nothing to hide his delight, even clapping excitedly as Orion managed the gesture well, quite elegantly even.

“I’d say that was almost perfect, wouldn’t you?” he asked Vela.

Vela nodded her agreement rather than signing again, not feeling like adding anything further. It was the equivalent of how those with a spoken language would feel when they simply didn’t want to talk. Strange as it seemed, she was going to miss Orion. He was kind and interested in them, and it made her surprisingly happy to get to hear Dritz being able to converse with someone else who used their voice.

With a wave and another goodbye, Orion disappeared into his ship. They watched from a safer distance as he began his departure, before Vela turned to Dritz. [He’s very nice,] she signed simply. [Do you think we will really see him again?] A little shy, she slipped her arms around his waist to give him a gentle hug.

Dritz had been somewhat sad to see Orion go, but soon he felt slim arms around his middle, raising a wide smile. He pulled Vela closer, kissing her on the forehead.

“I think so, flower. He was honest, and seemed to want to repay us, I think his sense of honour will mean he’ll come and find us,” he said, affectionately nuzzling the fluffy hair behind her ear. “Shall we get back to our room?”

Breathing out quietly, Vela closed her eye as she felt Dritz’s face brushing against her so gently. It made her want to lay down with him and just hold on, warm and comfortable. His suggestion, however, made her realize they really did have to move all their things first. [Yes,] she pulled back to say. [We were interrupted, but for a good reason.]

They decided to move her things first, and once in the room she had to frown a little at the assortment of small machines she had brought from Aurctas. [These can go back to the ship,] she signed. [We would have more room that way.] Other than these, her only possessions in her old room were a small selection of clothes and personal items. She worked at gathering them into the bag she had originally packed them in and thought for the first time how little she really owned.

[Do you think there’s a way to move more than one at once?] she asked in regard to the machines. [It will take so long, one at a time.]

As much as Dritz wanted to stay holding her close, enveloping her smaller frame and breathing in subtle, lightly powdery scent of her hair, he knew they would need to take the time to actually move their things, rather than just go straight to their room.

He was slightly disappointed when they arrive that she wished to move her intriguing machines out of the room, but… It would allow them space they wouldn’t have otherwise. He strolled over to one of the machines, looking it up and down. Never one to miss an opportunity to make himself look particularly good, he flexed his arms, limbering up before testing the weight of the machines. Once he established that he could lift one easily, he hefted another, moving the first under his other arm. Again, it was fairly easy for him, but there was too much risk to the devices, which he set back down carefully.

“I reckon someone will have a trolley we could use,” he said, snapping his fingers. “I could run down to the storage staff and see, if you like?”

Vela agreed to this idea, waiting patiently for Dritz to return with the trolley. In the meantime, she caught herself thinking of how strong he was to lift two of the machines at once, then remembered the time he had lifted her (though without permission), which set her heart beating faster when it hadn’t before. She hurriedly began to search around the room to make sure she had everything instead, a little embarrassed at herself.

The trolley was big enough to carry all the machines at once, and Dritz insisted he lift them all to it himself. He could easily push it as they made their way to the Nova to deposit them there, Vela carrying her bag of personal items. It had not taken them long to clear out her room, and her bag wasn’t heavy, so she had the feeling she could carry something of Dritz’s as well.

[Your room now?] she asked with a little smile, wondering if he had left it in much disarray or not.

Considering Vela’s light packing, removing her things from her room was remarkably easy, and with them on separate tasks, they were done quickly. The trolley would likely hold any of Dritz’s larger belongings, but given how he only really used the room to sleep and bathe in, he wasn’t sure he’d even have that many bigger things to move.

He nodded and led them along to his room, which… Damn, he wished he had cleaned beforehand. There was a small selection of empty just-add-hot-water snack pots, albeit stacked within one another quite neatly, a small box of data cards (only some of which were labeled), an open duffle bag with obscenely bright fabric poking out, and all manner of dirty clothes discarded in a rough pile near a chair.

Dritz flushed slightly, “You can wait outside if you like… It won’t take me long to get rid of the trash and throw my clothes into bags.”

Vela had to blink a few times as she looked around the room and took in the mess. However, she didn’t actually feel as bothered by it as she might have expected. [No. I can stay and help.] She was determined, and Dritz seemed amused by this as he agreed.

She let him handle the things that would be thrown away, and the dirty clothes, since he seemed to want to. Attempting to carefully put his other clothes back into the duffel bag, and then find another bag for his remaining clean clothes, she found herself stopping to study a few of the items. They were all very bright colors, some Vela felt she had never even seen before. One particularly caught her fancy, a bright turquoise top without sleeves, covered with a zigzag pattern in yellow and pink. She held it up a moment, forgetting she was supposed to be putting it away.

[This is pretty. You have a lot of clothes. Maybe you can show them all to me sometime?] Her interest was genuine, as she felt the bright colors he wore were very connected to him.

Vela’s help was, at the same time, both welcome and quite embarrassing. She had kept quiet, and had handled his belongings with respect, but not in a cautious, 'better not touch his things because he’s gross’ way, which he had briefly feared.

He turned from where he was neatening the bed and looked at the top she held up, grinning. “Oh, that one… It’s actually quite old now. And just the tiiiiniest bit too snug for my liking. It’s not obscenely tight, but still,” he chuckled. He cocked his head, his smile becoming more fond, “Those colours look good against you. Suit you.”

His expression became just slightly sheepish as he spoke again, “I really like having bright clothes. It’s a weird vice, but its probably the thing I spend my money on the most. Chrysala doesn’t really have much of a clothing industry beyond the practical, so I can’t resist buying anything bright and unusual I see.”

Vela nodded, listening carefully. As she put the top away, she made a mental note of its appearance in order to remember it later. If it did not fit him so well anymore, then maybe she would be able to try it on. The thought of wearing Dritz’s clothes was somewhat intriguing to her, now that it had crossed her mind.

There was also the thought that maybe she would be able to find him some clothing he might like as a gift. The growing urge to do things for him was strange in a way, but not an unpleasant way. The rest of their cleaning and packing flew by as she was engrossed in these ideas, and before she knew it they ready to head to their new room with most of the bags and other items placed on the trolley.

The keycard read 33C, and without much time at all they were able to locate it. Vela opened the door for them and had to stop and stare for a little while. It might not have been too much different than their old rooms, but it was certainly bigger, with an actual room for the bed (double sized) separated from the main room which was furnished with a couple of couches. The kitchen and eating area would be just the right size for both of them, and the washroom even had some sort of large empty container of a sort Vela had never seen before.

A little overwhelmed by it all, and the fact it was theirs, she turned to Dritz to sign, simply in her happiness, [It looks very nice.]

Dritz paused at the door just as Vela had, looking around with raised eyebrows. He knew the double rooms would be bigger, but it was almost a small apartment, rather than what should have been a large hotel room. Considering the small difference in the cost, it was impressive. If they weren’t so strict about double rooms having two inhabitants, he would have moved into one sooner. Still, experiencing it with Vela was particularly special.

He peered around the other rooms, turning back to her with a wide grin.

“This one has a bathtub!” he exclaimed. When Vela didn’t immediately respond with recognition, he understood. “You not had one before? You’ll love it. It’s the most warm you could be!”

It took some effort for Vela to imagine what it would be like to be warm as possible. She wasn’t fully convinced Dritz was right, seeing as she was always more than pleasantly warm nestled next to him in bed, or whenever they embraced. But if he said so, she would give this “bathtub” a chance.

[It sounds good. I would like to try it. Maybe you can show me how later? We can use it together?] Her questions had been entirely innocent, as she truly knew nothing about it, but Dritz’s reaction was not quite what she expected.

Dritz’s eyes had widened, his antennae perking up as he started giggling, shaking his head. He stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her, still laughing affectionately.

“You’re wonderful,” he said brightly. He took her hand and brought her into the bathroom, crouching by the tub and gesturing, “And once we are… More comfortable with each other, we can use the bathtub together. But for now, since, uh… You usually use it alone. Naked. For washing, with hot water, you see?” He turned the tap and put a hand under the water until it came warm, gesturing for her to try.

As Dritz explained, Vela’s mouth fell open slightly as she thought about how embarrassing what she had just suggested might be to anyone else. She didn’t think she would be embarrassed personally, as nudity didn’t mean as much to her. However, she had seen the slight changes to her body lately and knew what it meant.

[I will wait for that,] she signed with the slightest smile, once she understood how the bathtub actually worked. She placed her hand in the water and felt how warm it was, beyond pleased at the thought of being able to immerse herself in it almost in the same way as the pool of water on Kirra.

They returned to the main room, but Vela didn’t feel much like unpacking just yet. Instead she walked over to the bedroom, Dritz seeming to follow her naturally, and sat down at the edge of the bed to simply look up at him with a feeling of warmth.

Shutting the water off, still amused by her innocence surrounding things the rest of the galaxy might take for granted, Dritz followed her through to their bed.

Their bed. Even if they had shared a bed on Kirra, it was still a wonderful novelty for him.

He flopped next to her and, in one smooth motion, flopped down to lie against the pillows, lifting her with him and pulling her into an embrace, squeezing lightly, the slightest sigh escaping him.

“You comfy? I’m comfy. What say we just leave the stuff and unpack later. Much later. Tomorrow,” he suggested with a beam.

Delighted that Dritz could guess what she wanted, and pleased he wanted the same, Vela relaxed against his warmth as she wrapped her arms around him. She nodded against his neck, where she had pressed her face in utter contentment. It would be absolutely fine with her that they wait until tomorrow to unpack. More than fine.


	17. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela's enemies return, and Fera finally makes himself useful.

While Dritz had slept all night, Vela had only rested her usual few hours before rising to begin setting things in order. She didn’t know how he might want his things placed, but at the least she could hang his clean clothing in the bedroom closet. This task took longer than she even could have expected. Once it was all done, however, she had to smile in amusement at the sight of Dritz’s bright colors next to her shades of grey and black. She put anything else she owned where she thought best, then could only wait for him to awaken and handle his own.

She picked up his datapad, taking a few moments to look him over before joining him in the bed again. His mouth was open and he was snoring, but it only made her smile fondly. Climbing in, she pulled up his arm to nestle underneath, quite warm as she began to run searches on various topics of interest to her. She decided she would need to get her own datapad soon, since it would be more convenient for them both.

Dritz awoke to something small and warm nestled under his arm, and it took a minute for him to register what was happening. He opened his eyes and squinted at Vela before smiling drowsily.

“G'morn,” he managed to mumble, pulling her closer and flopping his head against her shoulder. He continued to mumble something inaudible that might have been something about her smelling nice, spelling twice or shelling rice. After a minute, he snorted and sat up, “I’m awake. I am.”

As Dritz gradually awakened, Vela turned the datapad off and set it on the table at the side of the bed, just as he pulled her in closer. She pressed close in return, giving him a kiss at the corner of his mouth as her own form of ‘good morning.’ Not exactly sure what he had said, she smiled anyway as he finally attempted to sit up and assert he was awake.

[Did you sleep well? I hung up your clothes, I hope that’s alright. You can put away the rest of your things now, or wait until after breakfast.] She leaned back to look at his sleepy face fondly, brushing away strands of hair that had flopped to the front.

Dritz made a light, happy noise in the back of his throat, a definite insectile chirp, as she kissed him.

“Mmmnah… As much as I do want breakfast, and very soon, I should unpack,” he said, lazily stretching and slipping out of bed. At some point he had drowsily discarded the majority of his clothes, leaving him to wander about their room in his underwear, putting his remaining things away before pulling out his clothing for the day; a garishly striped sweater. As he dressed, he leaned over to kiss Vela, beaming, “Thank you for unpacking, flower. Shall we head out and get some foooood?”

Vela watched as Dritz tidied up and dressed, not feeling too awkward about the situation at all. She had already dressed in her own clothing, a soft and warm but fairly light shirt and leggings in dark grey. They were not as bulky as what she usually wore, showing more of her body shape, which she had the suspicion Dritz liked to see.

She agreed readily enough to food, feeling hungry herself. Apparently she also felt a little bold, because she slipped her hand into his as they left their room. It was inspired by the way he would touch her hand, but she had felt it was meant to be more, and hoped she was doing it correctly.

They turned their steps toward the fifth ring, an air of perfect contentment about them, but abruptly Vela had the sense that something was not quite right. She stopped, with Dritz continuing a short distance and almost pulling her, and looked behind them.

Had someone just ducked behind that pillar as she turned…?

The sensation of Vela’s hand slipping into his own made Dritz’s stomach flutter… Or was it hunger? He didn’t recall hunger ever feeling so strangely pleasant.

As they walked through the manufactured streets, hand in hand, Dritz had been in such a daze that he didn’t immediately realise when Vela stopped.

“What’s wrong, flower?” he asked, his usual grin faltering when he looked at her properly, knowing something was amiss.

Vela shook her head at first, wanting to think she was incorrect, but then saw that whoever was following them had noticed her attention and was coming out into the open, a sight which chilled her nearly more than the harshest winds on Aurctas.

“Observant, aren’t you?” It was the harsh, guttural voice of one of the gilled men they had run across previously, what felt so long ago. Vela had thought they were safe, but now she knew she should have perhaps been more careful. Quickly she stepped back, though still holding Dritz’s hand, and cautiously regarded the pair before them.

It seemed to be the same two as last time, or she assumed. One of them had an irregularly shaped scar running up the side of his face that she remembered from before. Otherwise, they were highly alike in form and features, but they addressed Dritz and Vela with some familiarity.

“And here I was hoping it wasn’t true,” the larger one laughed. He seemed to be the leader between the two, the one who might be the most dangerous. “But now I’ve seen it. You’ve come from the same room, and here you are, holding hands… Disgusting.”

“How can you do it with something like that?” the shorter man snickered, pointing at Vela. She didn’t know why they were fixating on this issue right away unless it was to get a rise out of them, but she tried to stay calm as she waited for Dritz to speak.

Dritz bristled, recognising the two almost immediately, and stepped in front of her. His hand in Vela’s was trembling minutely, but this time it was anger, not fear as before.

He took a step forward, squeezing her hand before letting go. He was shaking, his eyes with thunder behind them and a rage in his chest that he didn’t recognise. Before he knew it, he had marched up to them, drawing himself level with the taller of the two while dwarfing the other.

Regarding them both with a scowl, he said calmly but firmly, “Wanna repeat that, friend? Go on. See what it gets you. I was polite last time, but I’m prepared to not be.”

He waited, until deciding he had given them enough of his patience last time. He snatched at the shorter one’s collar, hoisting him up with one arm and glaring at him.

“Go on. I’m listening.”

Vela watched, her good eye wide as Dritz grabbed the collar of the shorter man and he began to flail awkwardly.

“Hey… hey! Let go! I was only joking! Can’t you take a joke?” he babbled, trying to twist away. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Tarav, tell him to let me go!”

The taller gilled man, Tarav, only continued chuckling with his eyes narrowed. “Shut it, Glaan. Stop acting like such a merrh. You insulted this fine Chrysalan, and I think it’s only fair you pay for it. Go on, then.”

He was addressing Dritz now, seeming to watch him closely. “I figure a comment like that deserves at least a punch to the face. Or two. You decide.” Vela crept a little nearer, ready to help if she had to, but stopped when Tarav’s eyes flicked toward her in a hostile stare.

Much as he didn’t like how he was acting in that moment, the Chrysalan felt a tiny degree of satisfaction that the shorter, Gland or whatever he was called, seemed so frightened. Dritz’s gaze snapped to the taller gilled man and he narrowed his eyes. “I wouldn’t waste my energy,” he said quietly, letting the short one drop to the ground again. “And, if I recall, you made an unpleasant comment too.”

He leaned closer, eyeing Tarav, “And how many punches does your comment earn, I wonder? If I were the sort of lowlife kzitzr to start physical fights, of course. Lucky for you, I’m not.”

“Lucky for me,” Tarav responded just as quietly, attempting to stare Dritz down. “But also lucky for you. Assaulting someone like me wouldn’t be a wise choice.”

He didn’t explain this, and Vela watched as Glaan scurried back around to the side of his companion, his attitude apparently recovered now that he was free. “It’s your fault anyway, what we said. You brought it on yourself, being with that–” He bit off what he was about to say as Tarav shoved him roughly.

“Shut up.” The taller male’s eyes still had a dangerous look, though they were now open only halfway. “How about you tell us, Chrysalan, why you’re really with the Aurian. There’s no reason to be, they only benefit from their own kind. It must be the money. It’s brought you in plenty of credits, the metal?”

Of course they didn’t believe she had no Ve. With an anxious expression, Vela once again tried to edge her way forward. She didn’t know what was about to happen, but couldn’t bear the thought of Dritz possibly getting hurt.

Of course, Dritz turned back to Glaan with the same fire as before. The two of them were trying his patience, and while he was beginning to think it might be satisfying to punch one of them, he also felt a wave of nausea at the idea. He looked them up and down.

“You’re pathetic,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “We’ve already wasted enough time on you… I’d say 'gentlemen’, but I’m no damn liar.” He took a step back, jabbing Tarav in the chest with his finger, the most aggressive action he could think of.

“Get. Lost. Find a ship and just piss off, or I will involve the station guard. If they don’t ban you, I’ll forcibly remove you myself.” He stared the taller one in the eyes for a long moment, his gaze cold and unblinking, before he backed away a good distance, keeping an eye on them.

Even though it seemed Tarav was quite irritated when Dritz poked him in the chest, the gilled man didn’t make any move in return. Instead he smiled, but closer to a sneer, lips parting to show strangely sharp teeth.

"You’re a bit different than last time,” he said quietly. “But you still haven’t answered my question. Why stay with the Aurian? A simple fetish for the exotic? Or is it bringing in enough credits to fulfill any other desires you might have?”

“He wants it all for himself,” Glaan blurted out eagerly. “It’s why he won’t say. He’s rich now. Maybe the Aurian’s been taking him back to the planet, getting him more of the metal, all he wants. Why not have him join us? We’re already–”

“Glaan,” Tarav hissed, though he didn’t stop smiling. “Shut up, I told you.” He shifted his attention back to Dritz, beginning to glare. “You can’t get the guard involved. We’ve done nothing to you. Unless talking is a crime now? Have we laid a hand on you? No. I want the answer for why you’re with that creature. I want that first. You’ll tell me… or else.”

Vela did not like the sound of “or else.” She was watching Dritz closely, incredibly worried about him more than anything.

“Or else what?” Dritz said, stepping back up to the fish man, “What possible benefit is your learning of my connection to her? I don’t give a damn about some useless metal, since I was brought up to actually work for my credits! I don’t want for money, you petty, impossible little-,” he spat, too angry to even register his rising concern any more. “I don’t give a crap for the metal. So I’ll tell you again; piss off.”

It looked as though Glaan was becoming excited the longer Dritz talked, eagerly leaning forward when he approached again. “'Her,’” he giggled manically. “That’s what he called it. So it is like that. It’s like that, and he’s getting the money too, he’s just too disgusted to admit it to himself!”

Seeming to recognize something, Tarav stepped back from them both, just as Glaan rushed at Dritz with both fists raised. He didn’t look like a capable fighter, yet Vela still ran forward in concern. But Dritz was distracted with Glaan, and Tarav was moving to reach her now. She could not run or hope to fight back, unable to leave Dritz, and knowing the taller gilled man was too strong for her even as he locked an arm around her and held her from behind, so tightly that breathing proved more difficult. There was a gleam of metal from the corner of her eye, and she knew one of his hands must now be holding a knife.

He should have known it would come down to a physical altercation, but Dritz was still unprepared, Glaan managing to get an awkward something-that-could-be-a-punch-if-one-were-to-squint in Dritz’s stomach, but he was able to shrug it off and grab the gilled man by the wrists, twisting his arms sharply while keeping his usual strength restrained, hating that it had come to such a thing. With a very quick spin around, he had Glaan in some sort of arm lock, held against him.

As he calmed, he could see Tarav had Vela in a similar position, a knife poised by her mechanical eye. Wrenching Glaan’s arms for emphasis, he called to the other one, “You want credits? I’ll give you all I have if you take your hands off her, let her go about her business. You said it yourselves. I’m rich.”

The harsh sound of Tarav’s laughter sounded loud in Vela’s ear. “Sure, we want credits. But it’s not just about that. This one is worth more credits than you’ve got. It’ll know where to find more of what we want.” He was squeezing her harder, and she could feel her breath coming out in painful gasps. The corners of her vision in her left eye were blurring just slightly, and the knife was nearer than ever.

“Merrgani,” announced a loud, familiar voice just then. Those who were able to froze, and Vela felt the hold on her relax enough to where she could breathe comfortably again. She took in one deep swallow of air after another and focused on that, while turning her head enough to see the one who had spoken.

“Merrgani,” Fera repeated. He looked as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just said. He also looked as immaculately beautiful as always in his pure white clothing, hair elegantly arranged, but today Vela thought the hue of his skin, which had always been pinkish before, had more of a pearlescent shine. “I’m impressed. You’ve dragged yourselves out of the swamp. What are you doing with my Aurian? I suggest she be released, unless you’ve a taste for fire. Which I already know you don’t.” He raised one hand to flick his fingers slightly, and Vela could see a faint glow coming from them.

“Your…” Tarav managed to say before flinching. “Coronal?” It didn’t take him much longer to shove Vela away, roughly, so that she nearly fell on the floor. Staggering, her immediate impulse was to go to Dritz, though she hesitated as he was still holding onto Glaan.

Everything had happened in such a blur that Dritz barely registered Tarav’s words, Prince Fera’s presence or his authoritative tones. He did, however, only see Vela thrown unceremoniously to the ground. With all his might behind him, he shoved Glaan away, darting around and over to Vela, picking her up and enveloping her, kissing her forehead. He cupped her face and looked her over. Now that he was back to himself, his hands were shaking almost violently, and he was pale.

“If I find even the tiniest mark on you,” he was muttering, seemingly to himself. “You’re okay, flower.”

Vela gladly welcomed Dritz picking her up and holding her close, even in full sight of everyone. “Okay,” she managed to repeat in affirmation of what he had said, as she could not use her hands. “Dritz… okay?” She leaned her forehead against his face desperately, able to tell something was wrong from his appearance and the way he shook.

Even should she have worried about how they looked to the others, there would have been no need to. The Merrgani both had their eyes glued to Fera, and they were nearly cringing away. “Better,” the prince said, looking down his nose at them. “But there wasn’t a need to be so rough. The Aurian is valuable merchandise.”

“You,” Tarav croaked, guttural in his apparent fear. “I’ve seen your face all over the posters. You’re not just any Coronal. You’re damned royalty.”

“You’re damned right,” Fera sneered mockingly. “Now I suggest you leave, and forget all about the Aurian, because I saw her first. Unless you want me to ask my parents for a special favor against the Merrgan homeworld. I’m sure they’d be willing to oblige.”

It didn’t look as though Tarav and Glaan needed further convincing. They didn’t even so much as look at Dritz and Vela again, but left as quickly as they had appeared. “I hate the smell of fish,” Fera remarked, finally glancing over at them and away again. “Good thing for you I don’t hold grudges.”

Vela felt that wasn’t true at all, but was so grateful for the prince’s help that she would accept anything just then. She continued holding onto Dritz, waiting to see if he felt well enough to speak.

The edges of Dritz’s vision were blurred, but with his eyes closed, he began to feel less faint, “Me? I’m fine. Nooo problem. None at all.” Despite saying this, however, he remained clinging to Vela, his eyes closed, until it was clear he was using her for support, and not the other way around.

“I cant think of anything more to say but thank you,” the Chrysalan mumbled with incredibly weak humour, turning towards where he had heard Fera’s voice coming from.

He eventually raised his head, letting Vela go but keeping her hand in his own, opening his eyes. He was still fairly pale, but shaking less as he cleared his throat. With a smile closer to his usual manner, he bowed awkwardly to the prince. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your assistance, and company?”

Vela didn’t think that Dritz was telling her the truth, but there was no way to ask further for now. He had held onto her for long moments before letting go, and even then couldn’t seem to release her hand. Naturally she didn’t mind, squeezing it gently in the hope it would still his shaking completely.

Meanwhile, Fera appeared to be alternating between looking at them and then looking away, awkward in a manner yet unseen from him. “Well. I suppose you could say I’ve been bored. And I was in this corner of the galaxy anyway. And I had nothing better to do.”

Seeming to have run out of his list of excuses, the Coronal sighed in an exaggerated fashion. “Anyway. I was about to dine at the establishment just around the corner from here, and heard the noise you all were making. Now that I’ve done my good deed for the next decade or so, I believe I will just return there.” He paused, eyes falling on their joined hands before shrugging. “Join me if you care to.” With that, he spun on one heel and walked away, disappearing around the corner.

After he had gone, Vela turned to Dritz with both confusion and worry written on her face. “Are you really alright?” she signed, needing to let go of his hand to do so. The matter of whether or not they would join Fera could wait for now.

Dritz had been about to stop Fera, holding a hand up half a heartbeat too slowly to halt him, if he had even been able to. He strongly believed in appreciation and gratitude, and he would not settled until he felt the prince had accepted his thanks.

Alone with Vela, he sighed deeply, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m better than I was. I almost wanted to break that lousy fish’s arm. That’s… Really not me. I’m not that person, but I came so close to being. It just makes me feel a bit… Crap,” he chuckled weakly.

Cupping her face once more, he asked, “What about you?”

Leaning back a little, Vela gazed into Dritz’s eyes to study him with the slightest hint of sorrow. [I know that’s not you. You were scared and worried about me. It was a dangerous situation, maybe one you’ve never been in before. You seem very protective, and I understand. I don’t think differently of you.]

Only able to hope this would help him, she smiled gently at his touch on her face, reaching back to touch his for a moment. [I’m alright. I just wish this all wasn’t because of me. It feels like my fault. Especially since it’s made you feel bad.]

She stepped back to try to prevent him from saying anything in return, quickly signing, [Are we going to join him? He did help us.]

“Nooo, it’s not your-” Dritz stopped, listening to her as she signed. He glanced in the direction the prince had gone, tapping his chin.

“I dunno… I do want to thank him. Maybe we could buy him his meal. It’s not the best way to show our gratitude, but there’s no other way with him, I don’t think. He seems like the sort that responds best to money…”

He whisked Vela into his arms, tucking her close to him and following the path of the prince.

When they arrived at what Fera had called an “establishment,” Vela could see why he had used a different word. There was no way to imagine him at one of the simple shops they tended to frequent, and one suited for a prince was of course quite decadent and certainly expensive-looking.

Money was naturally no object, so Vela felt no reservation with leading Dritz inside, quickly spotting Fera sitting at a table with more than enough room for all three of them, as though he had expected them to join. If there was a flash of relief in the Coronal’s eyes upon seeing them, it was gone so fast one could doubt it was there at all.

“Sit down,” he practically demanded as they approached, though there was no warmth behind the words. “I haven’t even decided what to have yet.” He held a finger elegantly poised over the gilt menu on the table in front of him. “I swear to all the gods, this station is the worst. Only ten varieties of wine on offer. I need a good wine with my morning meal, and having to make do with this meagre assortment is really not improving my opinion.”

Vela sat down with a hesitant smile at Dritz, not having much of an idea what Fera was talking about at all.

Dritz allowed himself a moment or two to gawp at the décor and variety of folk who were dressed similarly wealthily to Fera, though none had so much flair and quality in their presentation as the prince himself, who seemed just as icy as always.

Dritz pulled up a chair opposite him, smiling sympathetically. “I don’t know if it will help, but some of the classier places keep a secret selection. It might be worth asking, flashing them a handsome smile. At the very least they might find you some champagne, which might be better than these?” he offered, glancing through the list, though it was clear he knew nothing of wine himself.

After a moment, he added quietly, “I really do appreciate your help back there. It doesn’t go any way to repaying you, but if you’ll let me, I’d like to pay for your meal? Y'know, as thanks?”

Fera stared at Dritz a long moment before the lure of better alcohol made up his mind. It only took him another moment to process what the Chrysalan said next and dismiss it with a wave of his hand. “Your gratitude is noted. But I’d rather you didn’t pay for me. I’m about to have a lot to drink, and I’m not sure you can take care of that.”

He smirked, standing up to saunter toward the bar in a vaguely seductive manner. Perhaps if the man there knew he was a prince, and an attractively elegant one at that, he would find himself with a limitless supply of better beverages. Dritz had mentioned champagne, and it hadn’t even crossed his mind to attempt to ask for that drink, one of his particular favorites.

-

After Fera had walked off, Vela turned to Dritz with a puzzled but unsurprised expression. [I guess that didn’t work. I’m not sure he really even accepted your thanks. But maybe it doesn’t matter. Why do you think he really helped us?] It was a thought which was weighing on her mind currently, considering the Coronal had taken advantage of them before in such a way, claiming they had owed him a debt.

The Chrysalan shook his head, watching the prince go, admittedly with a raise of his eyebrows at the sway of his hips. There was definitely more to the immaculately presented young man than… well, anyone could possibly guess. Of course, Dritz could only shrug him off.

He turned to Vela with an amused shrug, his anxiety from the scuffle having dulled considerably, “No clue, flower. I don’t imagine he did it for the good of us. He must be benefitting somehow, but for the moment I don’t know exactly.”

After a moment, he added quietly, touching her arm, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

The idea of Fera benefiting from them somehow was worrisome to Vela, as she was not entirely certain he could be trusted yet. But the fact remained he had helped them twice, even if he had a tendency to be difficult about it in the meantime.

[We have to wait and see, I guess.] Dritz had questioned her if she was truly alright, and she reached back to brush her slender fingers along the side of his face before replying. [I am. But as I said, I am concerned that this happened because of me. I don’t know what we should do. I don’t want it to happen again… I don’t want you to get hurt just because I exist outside of my world.] The truth, though she wouldn’t tell him now, was that her concern was so great, she was even considering going back.

Fera was returning with a smug expression and a tall glass of liquid which was probably the champagne Dritz had mentioned. “He said he’ll bring me more whenever I empty it.” The prince sounded nearly giddy, sipping at his drink and exhaling in pleasure. “Never mind repaying me any other way, this is enough for me.”

Vela’s delicate touch was enough to reassure Dritz, and bring a little more colour to his face.

“It didn’t happen because of you. The galaxy is full of greedy creatures who’d do anything to get hold of something someone else has. Its everywhere. As scary as it was, and as much as it saddens me, this happens to a lot of folk on poorer planets,” he sighed. He dropped a hand between them and patted her knee gently. “We will be fine.”

He turned his head and beamed when he saw Fera returning with champagne. He knew most places would have a store of something lurking in their cellars, waiting for a discerning palate.

“Enjoy, Prince Fera. Did you… Manage to order a meal as well?” he asked with a hint of amusement. It seemed the prince had his priorities straight.

Much as she wanted to believe Dritz, Vela wasn’t entirely sure. Fera had warned them off, but who was to say that was really enough to deter them? What if they returned with even more Merrgani? They might not be able to hold off an attack by a larger group. Her consideration of returning to Aurctas alone could not be set aside, but first she would have to see if Dritz could find a place where he would belong. Then again, to leave him so soon after their relationship had just begun… It was difficult to bear that thought.

For now she nodded in agreement, turning as she saw Fera return. It was likely he would dominate the conversation from here, which she had no problem with, but she would keep her eye on him as usual.

“Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. This is so wonderful.” He had his eyes closed and he was just smelling the champagne, to Vela’s confusion. “I have ordered for all three of us. Don’t worry, you will enjoy it, but it wasn’t inexpensive. You’ll have to pay for it on your own.” He opened his eyes and smirked at them both, as though he had just played an incredible joke at their expense.

“By the way, what I said regarding the Aurian, in case you even heard: I don’t have any sort of claim on her, nor do I want to. It was a tactic to get those disgusting fish to drop their interest. We Coronal can be even more bloodthirsty than they are, but in a more…. refined way, you understand.” He held the stem of his glass between his fingers, swirling it around as he gave Dritz a sly look. “That’s another reason you are lucky. The fact I have no personal interest in you, or her, or further need for money, having plenty of my own. Therefore I am incredibly benevolent, don’t you think?” His smile was actually rather unpleasant, and Vela did not think that was at all true.

Dritz frowned deeply. Just as he was beginning to find a respect for the prince of Coronus, even bordering on a connection, maybe even the faint beginnings of a friendship, something always happened to ruin it. Namely, the prince would do or say something to wreck it, like a child building a tower out of bricks, but not having the steady hand to keep it upright.

Or something.

“I expressed my gratitude when we first arrived,” he said, his tone slipping towards the over-friendly, almost syrupy way he would deal with Fera. He was in two minds as to whether he should cancel their meals and save them the money, or show Fera that he couldn’t presume them poor. Maybe he and Vela ought to have champagne too.

[Drink?] Dritz signed and spoke to Vela at the same time, smiling.

Not entirely understanding what was going on, Vela returned Dritz’s smile hesitantly and nodded. It only took her a few brief moments to piece together that he was concerned due to Fera ordering them expensive food and unsure what to do about it, so she quickly made a decision.

[I’ll have the same drink. And we can afford the food.] The look on Fera’s face as Dritz translated and then walked to the bar, returning with champagne glasses for the both of them, was well worth it. He glared at them both darkly as though they had thwarted the best idea he’d ever had.

“Anyway, what would the Merrgani want with you? I understand they were after the Aurian, but they’re hardly special. I didn’t know you had such dangerous connections.” Fera acted uninterested, but Vela thought he probably was, or he wouldn’t ask such questions.

In the meantime, she tasted her drink and found it quite different from what she might have expected. The liquid nearly evaporated as soon as she took a sip. She ultimately decided it was much nicer than the drink they’d had with Fera before.

Dritz felt the slightest hint of smugness as his sipped his champagne, but did his best not to show it. Thankfully, Fera’s questions caused him to bristle to the point of forgetting his minor triumph.

“I don’t know,” he lied. They were after some metal he didn’t care about enough to remember. The point was that it put Vela in danger. “But it seems to me that they have some sort of racial beef with Aurians in general. And bullies are all over the place. There’s a mechanic who refers to me as 'feelers’, and I can’t even begin to tell you what’s wrong with that slur.” He chuckled, shaking his head, his antennae undulating gently.

“You don’t know,” Fera repeated slowly, sounding suspicious. “Forgetting about that, I can see the racial hostility. Though to be so strong, it must go deeper than just a casual dislike. I wouldn’t know, I decided I just could not be bothered to research the Aurians in general. But I’ve heard all the words others use in poor taste. Some are used for Coronal, if you can believe that. Fortunately, as a prince… anything directed at me could bring swift retribution. ” His smile was satisfactory, evidently pleased with his status.

The meal arrived shortly thereafter, and Vela was surprised to see how small the portions were for food that was supposedly so expensive. She cast a worried glance at Dritz, thinking they would have to go eat elsewhere again after they parted ways with Fera. He surely would not be satisfied with the amount.

But to Fera’s credit, the food actually was delicious and somehow appealing to each of them. Vela couldn’t identify any of it, but ate steadily until her plate was empty, deciding she had enjoyed it a great deal. [It’s very good,] she signed simply, straight to Fera for once, rousing another suspicious stare from the prince.

Dritz shook his head, sighing. “Sadly, I can believe it. It’s a shame that others would be so rude, but if you’re different to them, they’ll find a way to insult you if they’re of a mind to,” he huffed.

When their food arrived, he frowned down at it. Was that it? Really? Several hundred credits for… A snack? Dritz looked hesitant, prodding the artfully arranged food with his fork before finally taking some. It was the taste that gave him the confirmation as to why it had been so expensive. Perfectly balanced and spiced, just the right temperature, and absolutely delicious.

“I agree,” Dritz said enthusiastically, glancing at Fera, “Vela thinks it’s very nice.” He repeated her gesture, made awkward by his refusal to put down his fork. With a look at Vela, he emphasised the movement of his left hand, “Doing it like this is more grateful, yeah? Like 'this is great, thanks for choosing it’ kind of tone?”

With a sudden warm smile, Vela nodded at Dritz’s explanation of the 'tone’ of her signing. It impressed her that he was beginning to learn the subtle differences, slowly, even if he wasn’t as good at actually repeating them.

Fera didn’t seem impressed, his eyes narrowed as he looked between the two of them. He appeared to be slow and meticulous about eating, taking very small bites and chewing carefully, so there remained a decent amount on his plate. Vela wondered if it was necessary for Coronal, or if it was just a habit particular to him.

“Something has changed,” he suddenly announced, his gaze fixed on Dritz now. “Between the two of you. I do notice things. You can’t seriously…” He lifted a hand, pointing first at Dritz and then at Vela and back again. “Are you sleeping together?”

He seemed very intent on his question, which was strange to Vela. Of course they were sleeping in the same bed. Why did he want to know? She nodded, which for some reason made him sit back in shock and stare at Dritz.

Dritz’s beam that followed Vela’s agreement disappeared quickly when Fera asked if they were sleeping together. Not if they were dating, but the physical specifically.

His smile faded in the most undignified fashion when he nearly choked on his food, his face reddening.

“No!” he said quickly. “It’s… Well… Not…” He seemed to be glancing anywhere but at the other two until he finally came to his sense and managed to compose himself, clearing his throat. “Not in the way you’re implying, your Highness,” he said with a glance at Vela.

He would, from the look on her face, need to explain it a bit better later.

“Oh?” Fera’s smile was coy as he rested his chin on one hand, fingers elegantly framing the side of his face. “Could it be, Dritz…. you are inexperienced? Do you lack confidence? I could perhaps offer some suggestions…? No? It’s your loss, I am quite well versed in the area, myself…”

Dritz’s obvious embarrassment was enough to please Fera without continuing any further, much as he might have liked to. With a smirk, he continued eating as daintily as possible. The truth was that he did not care much for eating in front of others, while their topic of conversation had not made him feel awkward in the slightest. “But I am not far from the truth, yes? You are romantically involved. I could swear that was not the case when first we met. But as I said, I am able to tell in such matters.” He could also tell that Dritz was being truthful from how Vela seemed quite confused.

Dritz found the composure to roll his eyes, shaking his head.

“Don’t confuse respect for another as inexperience,” he said with a little smile. Okay, so Fera didn’t have to know that his experience was… Limited. And it had been awkward. For both of them. And anyway, it wasn’t his business, why did Dritz feel the need to cover for himself?

“We are together, yeah… Early stages, but it’s there,” he said carefully, the corner of his lips twitching, suggesting a wider grin.

“Interesting,” Fera replied loftily, trying his best to look as though he was not jealous at all. Which he actually was, of course. Why should this shabby, common pair be allowed happiness when someone as beautiful as himself, actual nobility, had to be forced to drift from one casual encounter to another without seeming to ever find… anything?

Why, indeed?

“In that case, since you’re so intent on staying together, you must have a plan for what to do the next time the Aurian is attacked: by the Merrgani, or anyone else. Will you change rooms? Or move to another station? Or simply hope I was enough to deter them permanently? I would not count on the last, if I were you. Once they figure out I am not actually in possession of her…” He waved a hand in a dismissive way, showing it was not his problem at all.

Despite how slowly he ate, the prince’s food was nearly gone now. There must be a way to extend their encounter, though admittedly he was running out of ideas.

Dritz chewed his lip, frowning. He hadn’t thought about any of that.

“Those fish bastards surely won’t…” he mumbled, but soon stopped and looked at Vela. “I suppose we’d have to move off station, huh? I wouldn’t want to, but I’d want you in danger even less.” He cleaned his fork with his napkin and begun spinning it in his fingers, twirling it like a mini baton, though he was still frowning deeply. “There must be a way to scare them off completely… Something that plays on what Prince Fera did for us…” he pondered aloud.

Vela leaned forward and began to sign earnestly. [We will think of a way. I don’t want to leave the station. At least not yet. We have some time, so we can think of something before then.]

She turned a considering look on Fera, though continued motioning to Dritz. [Maybe he could come back every now and then just to make sure they keep away in the meantime. I’m not sure if he would. Can you ask him?] She could think of no other way currently, much as she did not like the idea of Fera (currently staring at her suspiciously once more) being around them much at all.

Dritz chewed his lip, looking between the two of them.

“Vela is concerned about what you told the Merrgani…” he said softly, “I agree with her. Is there any chance we could… Meet more often, to make it seem as though you do have ownership of her, like you said? I know you don’t owe us anything, but until I can protect her on my own, I need all the help I can get.” He shrugged weakly. He considered himself a fairly open book, but even this was too much vulnerability for him.

Fera kept his focus on his plate until he had finished eating, chewing slowly before looking up at Dritz and Vela through long eyelashes. He had needed the time to debate the idea in his own head.

He was in no danger. There was a reason the Merrgani, and so many others, knew his face so well: for his own protection. He had gotten used to his likeness displayed in many places on Coronus, as well as a wide variety of other worlds, not that it took much getting used to. Though he might not always admit to it, he knew of his own vanity.

This was something he could do to keep in contact with the pair in front of him without the need to invent elaborate excuses every time. What he would definitely never admit was that he wanted to be around them. It did madden him at times that he had to resort to thinking of them when his loneliness couldn’t be born any further. It was so difficult to find anyone willing to associate with him for an extended period at all.

“I am not sure,” he announced regardless, needing to make certain this was not easy for them. “I fail to see what’s in it for me. Though, as you say… I seem to be the only chance you have.” His smirk now indicated that he rather enjoyed the thought.

Begrudgingly, Dritz smiled gratefully. While the immaculately dressed and almost insultingly beautiful prince of Coronus was difficult, to say the least, and frustrating, the Chrysalan was almost certain Fera was not a bad person. Really. Maybe.

“Well… I think we could be friends,” he said carefully. “It wouldn’t be something you could get anything out of immediately, not, like… A physical thing, anyway.”

Almost immediately, Fera bristled, tossing aside his napkin and glaring daggers in Dritz’s direction. “I don’t need friends,” he snapped irritably, despite having thought the opposite just moments before. “It doesn’t sound worth it to me. Perhaps someday I will think of a way for you to repay me. Until then…”

He rose to standing, looking down his nose at both of them. “I will see you in the future,” he offered in place of a farewell, turning to stride away. A small, genuine smile lit up his face for a brief moment before he composed it into an icy mask once more.

Meanwhile, Vela had lifted both eyebrows as she looked from the retreating prince to Dritz. [That was sudden,] she signed once she knew he had gone. [I don’t think he liked your suggestion, but at least he seemed to agree anyway.]

Dritz had instinctively held both hands up in alarm, his fingers splayed. He hadn’t expected such a reaction to an idea that he had communicated so very carefully. Or so he had thought.

He found his own usually-mild temper flaring up in response, which culminated in him batting Fera’s napkin onto the floor.

“What in space is his problem?” he groaned. “Are all royals like this? I think the Coronal could use lessons from Chrysala’s matriarchs in having a little patience and decorum!” He sighed, leaning against Vela and kissing her cheek. “He did, which is good. Hey, speaking of good, this food, huh??”

Dritz leaned down and picked up Fera’s napkin.

Vela smiled sympathetically, watching Dritz’s reaction to Fera’s admittedly uncalled-for dramatic response. It could be that all the royalty on Coronus behaved in this way, but for some reason she had the feeling it was mostly the temperament of the prince in particular.

[It was good. I’m just not sure what it was.] Maybe it was food particular to the station, or even modeled after food from Coronus, but either way she decided not to concern herself with it further. [But are you… still hungry?] She could understand if he was; truthfully, she was too.

In that moment, Dritz felt as though he couldn’t be luckier. He beamed and put his hands either side of her face, kissing her on the forehead.

“You-” he grinned, “- have read my mind, flower. Let’s get something less fancy, more fatty.” He laughed, standing and pulling her chair back with her still sat there, bowing as he gestured for her to go first.

The gentleman at the bar gave Dritz something of a look, but he didn’t seem to notice, happily taking Vela’s hand and starting out towards a wealth of delicious street food with real portion sizes and recognisable food.

Vela smiled, pleased to have been able to suggest what Dritz might like. Learning more about him was always a delight to her, and she wanted to know as much as possible.

They walked hand in hand until finding a food stall which suited both their tastes. Vela was of the opinion that soup was suitable for any meal no matter the time of day, choosing one with a vegetable base and large chunks of what the vendor assured her were “fresh” vegetables from a nearby planet. They were unfamiliar to her as well, but based on the smell, she knew she would enjoy it.

After purchasing their food, Vela and Dritz sat at one of the small tables which were nestled in various corners of the area. [Thank you for saving me today,] she signed earnestly while waiting for her meal to cool slightly. [Even if Fera had to step in, I think you would have gotten rid of them.] She had confidence in Dritz which she could not explain just yet, but already felt she would trust him with almost anything.

Deciding Vela had a good idea, Dritz chose the same meal as her (with additional dumplings, because who could resist?) and situated himself opposite her.

Her thanks came as something of a shock. He hadn’t thought about it, but of course she would want to thank him, that was just the person she was. He was beginning to understand, piecing information together, that Aurctas would be a lot more selfish than some other places, out of necessity rather than malice.

[Hope so,] he signed back awkwardly. “I didn’t want to fight, but I think it would have come to that, sadly. I’m glad it didn’t, though. I don’t think my nerves could cope!” He laughed good naturedly, shrugging.

He prodded some of the food in his bowl before scooping up one of the dumplings and grinning at her, “Hey, you wanna try these? They’ve got some sort of herbs in that I don’t recognise and they’re really gooood!”

[You would have been able to do it,] she signed confidently. [I wasn’t worried.] When she thought about it, she realized it was true. She had not been worried over whether Dritz could protect her, only over whether he might get hurt for her sake, something she didn’t wish for at all.

His sudden question surprised her, and she inspected the food on his spoon carefully. It wasn’t an item she was familiar with. [I can try it.] She then looked from him to the spoon and back again before hesitantly holding out her own spoon in case he wanted to transfer it to her that way.

“You weren’t worried?” Dritz spluttered, “'Cuz boy, I was! I don’t think I’ve been more worried in my life! Well, apart from serious turbulence coming through Catra Petrus on. Old 'Pap hated it, I very much thought I was going to become a sad news story in a hundred years’ time. 'Chrysalan shipwreck, evidence suggests captain was incredibly stylish and just, impossibly handsome. A real dreamboat.’” He preened, running a hand through his hair and leaving it in a soft, floppy mess.

He shook his head, leaning forward at the same time as gently putting a hand in hers, lowering the proffered spoon. “Just take it from mine,” he said, his voice lower and bordering on flirtatious as he held his spoon up for her, cupping a hand underneath to catch any drips.

Partially uncertain what Dritz was talking about, Vela listened with a soft smile, head tilted to one side. She couldn’t comment, so she focused her attention on the spoon he held up to her.

At first she thought he meant her to use her hand to take the food. That surely wasn’t what he intended, as it would be far too messy. Or he wanted her to take the spoon, but the way he held it eventually made it clear she should eat from it.

Still, she hesitated as she leaned forward to take the food, as she couldn’t ever recall anyone feeding her before. Her eye darted up toward Dritz for a moment, a little embarrassed, but she was able to forget about that when she started chewing.

[It’s good. You said you don’t know what’s in it, but what is it otherwise?] She shyly offered a small gesture of gratitude as well, one meant for those closer to you who showed kindness.

After a long few minutes, Dritz realised he had been gazing at Vela quite thoroughly, the expression he imagined on his face to almost scream 'smitten’. There was something a little bit more intimate about her eating from his spoon, and even allowing him to feed her. Okay, so it wasn’t the most romantic setting to be surrounded by other workers, noisy, bustling crowds, and the strong smells of greasy cooking, but still.

Damn, but she was just adorable.

He seemed to snap out of a daze, smiling goofily. “Ah, well they’re usually made of dough. Like bread, but I don’t think it has the same stuff in it to make it soft and light, so it ends up with this dense, chewy kind of texture. I guess the idea used to be that it was a way to fill you up for cheap, since the recipe is something like… Water, flour, salt and egg? I dunno. They’re just weirdly tasty for squishy blobs of not-that-much, aren’t they?”

[Interesting. They are very good,] Vela had to agree. The texture was odd and unfamiliar to her, but it wasn’t bad in any way. In fact, she had liked it a lot. [Could I have one more, please?] It seemed strange to want to ask, but there was also something about him feeding it to her…

Dritz more than willingly obliged, and Vela sat back and smiled at him after she had taken it from his spoon and eaten it much the same as the first. [Thank you. Do you enjoy this? Giving it to me?] She could tell by the look on his face that there was an element of it which appealed to him, but wondered if he could elaborate since she didn’t know what it was, herself.

Of course Dritz couldn’t resist feeding her from his own spoon again, especially since she had asked. She had almost invited it the second time.

He felt a small, mischievous smirk rise on his lips when she asked if he enjoyed it. In the back of his mind, he knew it was odd for him to have enjoyed it so much, but… it was an innocent act, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if it could be taken as something suggestive. He was vaguely aware of it being something considered romantic by certain races.

At least, he thought he was remembering that correctly.

“Yeah, actually. Is that weird? I don’t think it’s weird, but maybe it is…” he asked with a ripple of amusement in his tone. “I guess I just think you look cute when I do. But, uh… what do you want to do when we’re done here?”

[I don’t think it’s odd if you enjoyed it,] Vela signed with a smile. She would leave the matter alone for now, but would certainly remember it for future reference, as she had filed so many small pieces of information about Dritz into her memory so far.

His question made her shake her head, beginning to focus on finishing her own meal. [I’m not sure. After everything…] She left that thought for a moment before gesturing again. [We should do something to relax us.] She gave him a little smile. [I’m not sure yet what I think that might be.]

Pleased with her answer, Dritz went back to his own meal, picking out some of the vegetables to eat them first (so he was left with nothing but tasty, tasty broth). As he ate, he thought idly about what they could do together. With bright eyes, he looked up, beaming.

“Heeeyyy, why don’t I show you the bathtub back at our room? Baths can be really relaxing, I think you’ll like it,” he suggested, completely forgetting what that would mean.

It only took Vela a few moments to consider this suggestion, and she slowly began to smile. What had Dritz said about bathtubs before?

[That sounds nice. I thought it was mostly about cleaning? You say it can be relaxing too.] She paused, smile slipping into something subtly more flirtatious. [And you can show me? I don’t mind undressing, if that’s how it’s done.]

Dritz’s eyes had widened, but she only continued to smile as she picked up her now empty bowl and walked it over to one of the refuse bins, allowing him some time to catch up and think of a reply if he needed to. It was bold of her, but she found she enjoyed that feeling.

Dritz didn’t remember the place feeling so warm. Pleasantly warm, at that. Suddenly he felt a shift in the balance between them, becoming a bit powerless in the face of flirtation from Vela.

Once she returned he had composed himself enough to sign, [let’s go] as he stood. Keeping his voice lower, he added, “I had an idea, too… But you have to wait. You’ll like it. Promise.”

They walked hand in hand once more, this time keeping to the very busiest districts, avoiding any quiet streets. Once they were back at their room, Dritz sat her on the bed and set about running the water into the bath. He insisted on keeping the door shut, but called to her through it periodically, making sure she was alright.

When he finally let her in, the bathroom was hazy with sweet smelling steam that put her in mind of the very real gardens. The bath itself was filled with water and fluffy white foam spilling over the side.

“You should be naked, really, to enjoy it the most,” Dritz said awkwardly. “But it’s okay if you want to keep something on.”

Intrigued by the concept of an idea she would definitely enjoy, being as fond as she was of new experiences, Vela happily walked with Dritz’s hand in her own, the experience from earlier that morning already nearly forgotten. It was difficult to wait outside of the bathroom in order for him to do whatever was necessary first, but the sound of running water brought a general feeling of excitement.

She had never quite experienced anything like the feel of the room once Dritz allowed her inside. The air was sweetly scented, and there was a warm mist rising from the water and filling the room which left her staring in awe. She turned to him, signing, [If it’s best, I will take my clothes off. Just wait outside for a little while.] While this was best for now, she had to wonder how soon it would be before she felt comfortable enough to do so with him present.

After he had left for the time being, she quickly stripped herself down and left her clothes where they fell out of eagerness. The white, fluffy substance in the bathtub did give her pause, but as she prodded it and then grabbed a handful, seeing it squish through her fingers, she found herself quite intrigued. Slowly she placed one leg in the tub, marveling at how warm it was, thinking it was different from the pool on Kirra but possibly even more lovely. That was nothing to how she felt once seated completely inside the bathtub, feeling nearly blissful as she waited for Dritz to enter the room again. The water enveloped her in warmth in a way she had never felt before.

Pressing himself against the door, Dritz eagerly called through, “I’m, uh, I’m gunna come in, okay? But I’m gunna keep my eyes closed and hold my hand out, so if I’m okay to open my eye, just touch my hand or something, yeah?”

He did as he promised, carefully and exaggeratedly making his way inside and closing the door behind him. When he felt Vela’s wet fingers find his, he opened his eyes with a grin. The Aurian’s pale skin was barely visible from the neck down, he had overloaded the tub with so much soap.

“Do you like it? It’s not too hot?” he asked, removing his jacket, shoes, and rolling his shirt sleeves up before kneeling next to the tub so their eyes were level.

Vela watched with an amused smile as Dritz entered and slowly made his way over to her, eyes tightly shut. She reached for his hand, gently sliding her fingers across his, and smiled wider as he did the same.

[I think it’s perfect,] she signed with dripping hands, watching him remove his shoes and jacket, kneeling close to her. [I do like it. It’s really nice.] The way she was signing was even more relaxed, just a little less precise than usual. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the warm scented steam, feeling incredibly warm and calm.

[Is this all you do?] she signed as she opened her eyes again, leaning her face a bit closer to Dritz. [I mean, do you just sit here? Or is there anything else?] She found herself incredibly curious about this sort of ritual, already deciding she wanted to do it every day.

“Well, usually you wash too,” Dritz said with a delighted little chuckle. He grabbed a bottle from nearby and opened it for her to smell. “If you mix a bit of this in your hands while they’re wet, you can wash with it. But the thing I really thought you would like, you have to trust me for,” he said.

When it was clear she was willing to do so, he left the bathroom, returning with a small plastic bowl. He knelt beside her again and leaned over the bathtub slightly, announcing, “I’m gunna wash your hair for you, if that’s okay? Just let me know if you don’t enjoy it.”

He filled the bowl from the bath and carefully, cupping a hand over her eyes to protect them, tipped it over her hair, smoothing the water away from her face. After doing this enough times that her hair was plenty wet, he tipped out some of the soap from before, rubbing it in his hands.

“This is the part I thought you’d love,” he smirked, starting to run her hair with the soap, slowly teasing circles over her scalp, running his fingers over her neck and temples particularly.

The concept of having her hair washed with water at first seemed strange, but as Dritz had explained that one could wash in the bathtub, Vela quickly caught on to the idea. He used the utmost care in using a bowl to direct the water away from her face, in particular her mechanical eye, and soon she stopped worrying about anything at all as he slowly worked the soap into her hair and around her neck in a way she found incredibly soothing.

Eventually, she tilted her head back to smile at him through one half-closed eye. [I like it,] she signed, almost lazily. [Don’t stop yet.]

With the slightest colour rising in his cheeks, Dritz leaned down and kissed her forehead softly, finding the motion of massaging her hair was relaxing him too. He sighed happily.

“Your hair is really soft,” he muttered. “You look especially pretty like this, too.”

Vela nodded slightly, knowing her hair was soft, but finding it pleasant to think of Dritz enjoying the feel of it. His words, however, made her turn toward him with the smallest worried frown.

[Pretty? Are you sure?] He had called her “pretty” or “cute” before now, but for some reason she was concerned whether that was really the case. [My eye…] She paused a moment, covering her mechanical eye with one hand before signing again. [You said you become squeamish easily. Doesn’t looking at my eye ever make you feel that way?] She knew Dritz wasn’t petty enough to be hung up on appearances, but it hadn’t been the first time the thought had crossed her mind: that he possibly found her eye repulsive. If so, he did a very good job of hiding it.

Dritz sighed in a manner that made it very obvious he was sad, rather than irritated. He kissed her on the cheek, stroking her wet hair.

“Yeah, I get a bit wobbly over some things, but your eye doesn’t bother me. When you first told me… Sure, it was hard for me to hear, but the fact that it’s there doesn’t make me feel unwell or anything. It was the thought of a surgical procedure, not the sight of your eye on your face. It’s part of you, and I haven’t yet found any part of you I dislike. An’ I don’t think I ever will find a part I don’t like,” he said, keeping his tone light and his fingers running over her scalp, hoping to ease what worries she had.

“You’re beautiful. Everything about you is.”

Head tilted back again, Vela listened in what seemed a contemplative manner. Why it should matter to her what Dritz thought about her appearance felt like such a mystery. She had never cared much about the way she looked before. And even if he found her less than attractive, but still wanted to be with her, she would still accept it.

[I understand. Thank you.] It didn’t feel like quite enough to say, so she gently pulled forward and turned to face him properly. [You are beautiful, too. I like you.] That was also not enough to say. She reached out and touched his face softly, smiling. She adored the color of his skin, and the way his antennae moved, and how his smile could grow so wide. For now, she couldn’t communicate this to him.

“Kiss?” she managed to whisper with some effort, leaning ever closer to him. For some reason she felt the need to ask first, just to be sure.

For whatever reason, being called 'beautiful’ made Dritz’s stomach churn in a strange way. He had never seen himself as unattractive, though certain features meant he would never be the highest on a list of desirable partners. This had never bothered him, and he’d never felt inferior to anyone else based on his appearance alone, but for someone to apply such a meaningful word to him, especially a word that was still very new to Chrysalans, was something he wouldn’t ever forget.

He smiled softly, leaning forward and kissing her, sweetly at first, then tentatively deepening it.

Dritz didn’t respond, but from the way he leaned toward her in return and smiled, she knew he was happy. As soon as he began pressing his lips against hers with more intensity, she quickly followed suit, ending when they finally broke apart, Vela with a nearly breathless gasp of delight. The kiss had felt good in a way she had never quite experienced before, and it was enough to cause her to shyly move back to her original position, offering her head again for him to finish washing her hair.

[I could wash your hair sometime?] she offered, eye beginning to close once more as Dritz’s fingers moved gently across her scalp.

Dritz laughed, the sound holding nothing but delight at the suggestion.

“Sure, any time. You just have to be aware that my antennae might react before I do, since they can be pretty sensitive to stuff like that,” he explained. “Nothing freaky, just… wiggling. Like they do.”

With him bringing them up, he was suddenly acutely aware of his antennae, and the movement felt unnatural all of a sudden, like when someone reminded you of your breathing, or how your tongue sits within your mouth.

This information intrigued Vela, who had to keep herself from turning to look at his antennae. Maybe someday she would have to ask him more about their function. For now, she accepted his words and continued to enjoy the rest of her bath, eventually finding that the resulting extra softness and sweet scent lingered about her for the rest of the day.


	18. Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela and Dritz decide to leave the station and begin the process of finding the Aurians a new home.

Despite her days being filled with getting to know Dritz better, and the perfect contentment which came along with it, Vela would sometimes find herself deep in thought during the time she was awake while he remained asleep. There was a part of her which just couldn’t forget all those she had left behind on her planet, which worried for them and their future, and wanted to save them from lives of harsh coldness and exploitation.

Eventually she could no longer keep such thoughts to herself. Her mind was greatly troubled a few days later as she watched Dritz doing some routine maintenance in the Nova’s engine, barely listening to him ramble as he did so. Perhaps it really was best not to let this drag her down alone.

Cautiously she reached out and gave the leg of his trousers a gentle tug, hoping to gain his attention without startling him.

For all of the rambling he had been doing over the last few days, Dritz could sense that something was… off. He was not sure exactly what that might be, but he had strange inklings, a slight nervousness. Vela was both her usual self, but also not quite. She seemed to be distracted, but for the longest time he imagined it was simply what had happened with the two fish men, or maybe with Fera, but he didn’t have the heart to ask in case it was more personal. He didn’t know if there were any… physical factors involved, knowing that some species had periods of changed moods and the like, though he didn’t know why.

The Nova had been quietly allowing him to perform tests. She had been grounded enough that he thought it necessary to test her, not even needing to convince Vela. He was part way through checking the connectors, half-humming and half-singing to himself when he felt a gentle pull at his trousers. He slid out from the engine, looking down his body to Vela.

“‘Sup, flower? You okay?”

Vela smiled to show him she was alright, though it was weaker than usual. [I’m fine. I’ve just been thinking. And I wanted to talk to you about something.]

She paused to look past him into the engine before briefly smoothing the fabric she had touched with one hand. [Are you almost done? Maybe we should sit down somewhere first.] The topic was not going to be an easy one, and she was entirely uncertain how to go about communicating it to Dritz just yet, but she still wanted to try.

With a small grunt of effort, his stiff back throbbing, Dritz sat up, hugging his knees and smiling at her. He reached a hand out and cupped her face, gently rubbing a thumb over her cheekbone.

“Hey, for you, I’m done,” he said firmly but kindly. “This can wait. There’s obviously something bothering you and I don’t like to think of you sat here, fretting away to yourself. So, we should get some tea and have a break. We have actually been working for a while now.”

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before hauling himself to his feet and leaning down to pick her up too, leading her through the ship to the kitchen. “Do you want a snack?” he asked brightly, trying to assure her he wasn’t worried about whatever it was she wanted to speak of. As far as Dritz was concerned, a problem shared was a problem halved.

Dritz’s attentiveness and wanting to talk about her problem right away already brought Vela a more relaxed feeling. She allowed him to help her up and lead her along to the kitchen, where she readily agreed to tea, but turned down the offer of any food. Her stomach might feel more unsettled if she attempted to eat just then.

She sat at the table, accepting the drink when Dritz handed it to her: the Chrysalan tea, as usual. The flower in her bowl this time was a soft shade of lavender, and Vela watched it blossoming with a growing feeling of reassurance. Dritz wasn’t too worried about what she might have to say. Everything would be alright.

[I’ve only told you a little about my people,] she began, as confidently as she was able after a few sips of the tea. [Is there anything else you would like to know? Maybe about our way of life? I would like to share as much as possible, now.] If he didn’t have any questions in specific, she was prepared to try telling him as much as she thought she could.

They were both quiet as Dritz made them some tea, grabbing one of the many emergency ration bars from the cupboard to snack on, chewing thoughtfully as he watched her sign. There was not the usual engagement from her this time, however, and that worried him more than he might care to give away.

“I guess… I mean, your life was so different to mine, so I do want to know everything, but I hadn’t ever thought of specific questions for you,” he said slowly. “I suppose… what was it like to grow up there? How did you learn everything that you need to know for life? I mean, we have district academies on Chrysala, so everyone learns to read and write and craft. Was there anything like that for you? Or were you just taught practical jobs?”

Vela’s smile was faint, but she nodded at Dritz’s questions. [There are not as many children born on Aurctas. We are taught to sign, read and write by the eldest of us, those who aren’t able to work as much as they used to. We learn our own language, of course, but also as much Basic as is necessary to interact with traders. In my case, I studied extra on my own so I could become fluent in understanding Basic for my journey.] She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing.

[We are only taught mining, as it is all we can do on Aurtas. That comes later, when we’re sturdy enough to work. Late childhood, in some cases. We all do our share for the goods we receive in trade. So, in order to be able to study more, I worked less and went without as much food for periods of time. The same when I began teaching myself about space travel from the old texts.] It had been a difficult time in many ways, but not one she regretted in the slightest.

Dritz couldn’t quite believe the difference in their lifestyles, their childhoods. He was, of course, aware that every individual, everywhere, would have different upbringings, some more difficult than others, but to have been this far removed from his own was something he hadn’t expected, despite all he had learnt so far.

“Wow… It sounds harsh. Chrysalan children start work early, but it’s in a school environment, it’s not for basic survival at that stage,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

He reached across the table and took her hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles.

“You’re incredible. I’ve said it before, but I’m happy to repeat it until I run out of breath,” he grinned. “Teaching yourself space travel? That’s… Wow. Wow.”

With an appreciative glance at Dritz, Vela turned her hand momentarily so their palms touched, treasuring how warm it felt. She had to disengage to sign further, but almost wish she didn’t have to. [Thank you. I have trouble understanding; what I’ve done doesn’t seem remarkable to me. It was the only way.] For a moment she was lost in her own thoughts, but knew she had made the right decision.

[It is harsh. And it continues to be. When I think about all the others I’ve left behind, what they’re going through, how their entire lives are dominated by survival and nothing else… What could my people do, if given the chance? But I worry there’s nothing I can do to change their fate.] She sat back to let Dritz think over what she had said, wondering if he would suggest what she hoped he would.

Dritz cocked his head. He wished more than anything that he could reassure her, tell her some sweet lie that might help her feel better, but he knew it would be unfair. So he was left straining his thoughts for any way she-, no, they could help the Aurians. For the first time in his life, Dritz wished he knew about trade agreements, about promoting business. If they could get business and commerce to Aurctas then maybe the people would prosper, they wouldn’t need to struggle so much, they’d be able to pursue other careers…

“What if they established a new colony on another planet?” he asked. The suggestion was a surprise even to him, as it had come out of nowhere. “I bet there are plenty of planets where they could establish themselves. Chrysala has taken refugees before, during the Myrani civil war… But that was on a small scale… Still!” He looked at her hopefully, his yellow eyes full of concern.

[I wish that was possible,] Vela gestured, the movements not as confident as normal. [They are very rooted in their ways. Even if I could convince them… We would need a place beforehand. If we could find one…]

Her hands dropped to the table, began pushing the cup of tea slightly to and fro in a restless way. They would need a larger source of transportation. Would Fera… No, that thought wasn’t worth entertaining yet. Vela knew he had access to large vessels but wasn’t convinced he was friendly enough toward them to even think about it yet. Maybe for now, focusing on finding an actual planet would be best.

[There aren’t as many Aurians now as there used to be,] she signed sadly. [If I could find somewhere for them to go, and convince them, then I would like that. But it’s a big task. I couldn’t ask you to help me, with everything else you’ve already had to do for my sake.] She kept her eye focused down at her cup, already knowing he would want to help regardless, but feeling slightly bad about it.

“You can’t ask me,” Dritz repeated, leaning against the table and resting his head on his hand, smiling, “But you don’t need to. There’s gunna be a way, but we’ll have to consider it carefully. It’ll take a lot of planning.”

Dritz was already considering all it would take in his head. They would need to know the population of Aurctas, and how many would be willing to make new lives elsewhere. What if some elders wouldn’t leave? There would be stubbornness, he was sure. Then there was the question of where, and how to get them there. Chrysala had a history of charitable work with other planets, but nothing of that scale.

He watched her nervous fidgeting with a soft sigh before taking both of her hands, “We’ll do all we can, no one can ask any more of us, or you. 'Kay?”

Vela allowed Dritz to hold her hands until she felt calmer and better able to think without worrying. She gave him a grateful smile when she was ready to start signing again.

[Alright. We can discuss the details. I would be really happy if my people could find a better life somewhere else. I’m not sure I set out with this goal. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew it was there all along.] She bowed her head toward him, showing a deep thankfulness. [I appreciate that you want to help. I have never met anyone like you.]

Her happiness in that moment felt a little odd. It was a stronger emotion, mostly directed at Dritz, one she had never felt before. It seemed her feelings for him only grew with the amount of kindness he continued to show her.

[Do you want to walk in the garden and talk about it more? We could sit here, but… That place is special to me, especially with you by my side.] Hopefully, she reached to caress one of his hands with a gentle touch as she waited for him to answer.

Dritz considered her signing carefully and when he finally responded, he signed every word that he knew he could manage as he spoke, “It’s good that you want to help your people. It’s pretty damn rare amongst the more heavily populated planets, y'know. So many folks are just out for themselves.”

He smiled in a way that was rare for him. While his usual beams were bright, warm, and always genuine, there was a warmth that went beyond the usual, an odd kind of shyness and vulnerability the Chrysalan did not choose to display often.

“I’ve never met anyone like you either, ” he murmured, leaving the words lingering in the air for a moment before his usual bold smile returned and he squeezed her hands, “I’d love to go to the gardens with you, flower.”

Dritz’s signing along with his speaking also made Vela feel better. It wasn’t any trouble for her to follow along with both, even while some of his signs didn’t turn out exactly right. The fact he was willing to try, to communicate in her language and help her, gave her hope there would be more willing to do the same someday.

[Thank you.] She rose from the table, still holding one of Dritz’s hands as they made their way off the ship, the rest of the maintenance forgotten for the moment. Her thoughts were focused on them, together, being able to help her people and being happy in each other’s company.

The sight of the garden made her stop abruptly and stare. There were tall plants everywhere, the ones Dritz had called “trees,” but instead of being colors like gold and red and orange, the leaves were green yet nearly drowned out by a profusion of soft pink and white flowers. It even seemed the petals were falling to the ground in the simulated breeze, and Vela had to walk over to one before turning to Dritz excitedly.

[Can flowers really grow on trees?] She turned back again, reaching as if to cup her hands around a low-hanging spray of blossoms but of course not being able to truly touch it.

While Vela seemed much happier than before, Dritz couldn’t quite shake the idea that there was an air of melancholy. Rather than let it worry him too much, he trusted Vela to speak her feelings when she needed.

The walk to the gardens was pleasant, the majority of the crowds going about their working hours, leaving the streets only slightly populated.

The holographic park was always a surprise, always showing some new beauty. Dritz did not often visit before he met Vela, so he didn’t recognise the delicate blossoms gracing the trees.

Her wonderful smile was matched with one of his own, “They can! You like them? It’s a shame they aren’t like real… Maybe we could find a planet with tree blossoms for your people to live on? What do you think, huh?” He followed her over, smiling warmly as he slipped his arms around her tiny waist, kissing the fluffy hair at her temples.

[I like them a lot,] Vela signed, relaxing back against Dritz and turning her head after he kissed her. She knew that this warm, contented feeling was what she longed for more than anything. Her people should have that luxury, too. [That would be nice. But I would settle for any planet that isn’t nearly so hostile as Aurctas.]

They wandered around the garden briefly so that Vela could marvel at the flowers a little more, then sat leaning up against one of the wider “trees” which had been projected onto a pillar. She became more serious and a bit more concerned then, signing to Dritz earnestly.

[I think they would be willing to leave. Most of them. There are a few I know are very set in their ways, even welcoming the harsh conditions. I can’t understand them, but maybe they could be persuaded. If not, they could… stay.] She had signed the last sentence doubtfully, finding it difficult to imagine a mere handful surviving there alone. [We have no leaders, but many of the elders are respected as being nearly so. If we could gain their support, I think they would all leave.]

She considered a moment, tilting her head slightly. [Maybe we could not be convincing enough. Do you think we could bring someone else to help talk to them? Would anyone on Chrysala be willing to try helping us?] Much as she wished to move the Aurians there without even having visited yet, Vela knew Dritz’s home was already heavily populated. Perhaps, at the least, there would be someone eloquent enough to fully communicate to the Aurians that there was a better life for them elsewhere.

As they leaned against the projected tree, Dritz pulled Vela into his arms, tucking her against him where she fit so well, it was almost like she had always belonged there. But that was a silly thought. He adjusted to allow for her signing and his own line of sight to it, kissing her cheek.

He considered carefully. He’d never approached the overseers council before, but he knew that they welcomed residents of their districts regularly, so long as the cause was serious.

“Szna,” he said, lost in his own thoughts for a moment. “She is the overseer for the district I lived in, so she’d be a good place to start. I mean… She doesn’t tend to go for offworld affairs usually, but if we can convince her to take it to the council, there are at least two or three highly charitable overseers who love building relationships with other planets. I really think they’d go for it. Szna is a kind woman, but is very protective of her people, particularly those in her district, so maybe we can appeal to her desire to keep them happy. If we were to go to the district at large, convince enough people that the Aurians need help, she’ll concede to her citizens. So… We could go to her first, and if she disagrees, we go to the people of the district to persuade her. 'Your citizens want you to do this for the Aurians’, it’ll be perfect,” he rambled, getting increasingly excited as the plan formed in his head.

Nestled at Dritz’s side, Vela felt more than ready to tackle the subject. It was not so daunting as it would be alone.

She struggled to try pronouncing the name he had given her. “Sisssna.” The 'z’ sound was difficult for her tongue, it seemed. [Do you think she can be convinced that way?] Another thought occurred to her, one that made her frown. [And… I suppose I don’t know why the Chrysalans could be made to care about my people. Wouldn’t they need some motivation? I suppose our planets could be allies. But the Aurians have very little to offer right now in the way of trade or services.]

The thought was also disheartening, and she leaned closer against Dritz for comfort. [But we could be productive again one day, I know. We have old texts that are remarkably advanced for their age. I think ancient Aurians were incredibly smart and able to invent new technologies with ease. I believe it could be that way again, when life is no longer a constant struggle for survival.] She peered up at him hopefully. [Do you think that would be enough? I only worry that no one would care for an advancement they may not see in their lifetime.]

Dritz chortled lightly, enjoying Vela’s attempted pronunciation of the Chrysalan name. Considering he imagined she had only spoken a handful of times in her life, he thought the attempt was a good one, and squeezed her gently.

It was a sad consideration, that the council might not assist without gain for Chrysala. He rubbed his chin lazily, thinking.

“Maybe we should pitch the idea as charitable to begin with, but the potential for fair labour and engineering work is definitely something we should keep to persuade them,” he said carefully. “I’ve never really visited the overseer with an idea, but I have used my not inconsiderable charm to persuade others before.” He smirked at her, wiggling one eyebrow playfully.

At first Vela only stared at him, wondering why he was moving his eyebrow in such a strange way. Then she realized what he had told her.

[You are good at persuading others?] She leaned toward him a little more closely, obviously excited. [Then maybe we would not need anyone else. What sorts of things have you persuaded others to do?] She had a genuine curiosity to learn more about Dritz, and if this was some sort of talent which she had yet to discover, then she wanted to know all about it.

“Yeah, I like to think so,” Dritz said confidently. “Well… The Papilio was not originally my ship, for example. He belonged to a big collector, who was selling him for far more than he was worth. See, Papilio needed a lot of work. Selling price of twelve thousand UCs, and maybe another three thousand for the work that needed doing; but you can get new ships for less. Admittedly, they’re shuttle class, very small vessels, but still better. I managed to convince him it was in his best interest to sell Pap for cheap; even if he lost out on money, I pointed out that I’d then go and tell friends about the great deal I got. He knocked a couple of thousand credits off.” Dritz seemed very pleased by this information.

Vela cocked her head, listening with a faint smile. Persuading someone on selling a ship was one thing, but getting an entire species to leave a planet they had lived on for thousands of years was surely another.

[That is very impressive,] she agreed truthfully. [We might need all the help we can get. With you and I, and your council member, maybe some others? I am sure we can convince them.] She was not the most confident on the matter, but for now she would have to believe in her own words.

Sitting back again, she could not hide the distracted look on her face. [After that, we need to transport them. But who would be willing to take them all? There would need to be payment, probably.] Much as she didn’t want to mention it, there was no other way. [They could mine a lot of Ve, and it could pay their way. Maybe even enough to set them up in a new home. I think money would actually not be a problem.] She glanced at the ground, distant as she thought this over.

“Hey,” Dritz turned her towards him gently, kissing her forehead, “It’s gunna be alright. Don’t worry about any of that yet. We will do our best, and even the smallest victory will help the Aurians. We’ll keep working towards keeping them safe.”

He pulled her close, lifting her to rest on his lap and wrapping his arms around her small frame. “It will be alright. We will do everything we can. Let’s start small though, yeah?”

He was already considering the ships himself. The Chrysalan military fleet would be the only body of vessels that he could think of, and they would surely not allow the fleet for transportation. He frowned in thought, nuzzling against Vela’s hair.

As Dritz lifted her to his lap and enfolded her in his arms, Vela felt a small part of herself becoming overwhelmed with gratitude and affection. For a while she simply held him in return, her face resting in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, feeling warm and incredibly safe.

Dritz said he would help, that they could work together for the betterment of her people. That was how kind he was, how much he cared about her. She almost couldn’t believe there was someone off Aurctas who would do any of that for her.

She had to relax herself back away from him again in order to speak, but stayed seated on his lap, finding she liked it there. [Thank you. It’s not enough for me to just say that. But I hope someday I can do something for you too.]

Start small. The words repeated over in her mind, and she nodded. [Do you want to go with me, to look for any planets that may be suitable? I doubt there are any uninhabited. But maybe there are some with small populations, who would welcome a secondary group. We couldn’t travel too far. Maybe a few months in one direction before we return? A total trip of half a year before we decide what to do after. But it’s still a big journey.]

She smiled at him, then awaited a response as she wrapped her arms around him once more, this time resting her head against his chest.

Dritz watched her sign with a small smile. Her motions were back to being confident, and with purpose, as though she had been renewed, even a little. He considered it all carefully. They worked well together with regard to the running of the ship, and he knew they’d enjoy the time together. Really, he hadn’t considered the thought of him not being with her through this search.

“I’m with you all the way, flower,” he said brightly, stroking his fingers lightly up and down her back.

With a final gentle squeeze, Vela had to finally release Dritz and move to separate herself, standing up and stretching just slightly. She did feel reenergized in a way, as though the comfort she could take from him was truly helping, which she did not doubt it was.

She glanced around the garden a little longer, her expression soft, then turned back to him. [We will need plenty of supplies. I’m sure there are stations out there but we won’t count on it, just in case. And we need to study the maps to figure out the best direction to start in, set up a route and maybe plot the course fully for the navigation system so we don’t run into any trouble. Having you onboard as a mechanic will help a lot in case we run into any problems there.] Not fully aware of it, she had begun signing quickly as her thoughts poured out through her hands in an unchecked stream, which Dritz may or may not have trouble following.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dritz said, holding his hands up with a grin, “I caught… Supplies, and… Plotting the course. Slow down for me?” He waited for Vela to repeat for him and nodded, chuckling.

“Yeah, definitely. We’ll stock up on, bleh, space food. Ooh, though we can get some slightly nicer meals for the odd occasion. I’d advise getting some sleep aid as well, just in case. We’ll need to be rested, and sometimes it can be difficult with prolonged space travel. Do you want to get the supplies bought and back to the ship now, then we can take our time with the plotting?”

Vela took Dritz’s suggestions into consideration, nodding as she thought it all over in more detail, and a little more slowly. She supposed that the thought of actually helping her fellow Aurians was making her more excited than she could have imagined.

[Yes. We will get the supplies, some of it can be nicer, of course. And I didn’t know that, about the sleep aid.] Dritz would likely need it more than her, but she did think it was a good idea. [We’ll go now, and then have the rest of the day to plan our course.]

She didn’t think to ask Dritz if this was alright, and it didn’t come back to mind again until they had purchased all of their supplies and brought them back to the ship, settling themselves at the navigation console after having moved the two seats close together. Abruptly she turned to him with a serious expression.

[You are… alright with all of this? I hope I’m not rushing. I guess I thought we could leave tomorrow… but it could wait a few more days, if you want to be certain of everything.] Her desire to travel, and to start helping right at that very moment, meant she had jumped ahead stopping to be sure of what he thought.

It didn’t take long for them to stock up on all the necessary supplies for their journey, and for them to pack them away into the secure stores. Of course, Dritz had insisted on a handful of preserved meals to serve as their “treats”; enough higher quality dried packs that they could enjoy one every few weeks. He’d also brought a few flavoured drink powders and some sweets to keep in his toolbag (“They keep me going if I’m really busy!”).

Their navigations were just beginning when Vela turned to him. “We should make sure that the fixes to the engine are finished, but I can have them done by midday tomorrow! So long as the Nova is happy to fly, I’m happy to go,” he said cheerily, kissing her.

Pleased, Vela returned the kiss before turning back to the console and pulling up the largest star chart possible. Her brow furrowed as she studied it closely, deliberating on what she knew of the galaxy and what their best options might be.

[Here.] She used a finger, hovering just above the screen, to trace a path through a series of somewhat distant planets which lay at what was termed a “northeast” direction, even though in actuality there were no true directions in space. [We can try these. I know a little about them, and I can tell you more during the journey. I had a lot of time to study planets on my trip to Hesperus.“ She looked over at Dritz and smiled before beginning to punch in the long series of coordinates that would make the trip far smoother than navigating the entirety of the course manually, something which put a strain on her.

Cocking his head, Dritz followed Vela’s course, Together they plotted an appropriate course to the planet Vela had pointed out. The way was fairly clear, and the Aurian really had studied the planet. Not only that, but it was as though she had already plotted a course before, for fun or the like, since she knew it well.

"Looks perfect, cap'n,” Dritz announced when they were done, clapping his hands together, “Damn, we’re going to have a lot of time to fill.” Rather than sounding daunted by the idea, however, he was visibly eager. “How long were you onboard before getting to Hesperus? You must be good with long periods of… well, potential boredom. We won’t be bored together, though.”

Though she was tempted to double check the course, Vela leaned back in her chair to listen to Dritz, knowing she would likely do it later.

[There is a lot of free time. It took me what you would think of as eight months to get from Aurctas to Hesperus. I wasn’t bored. I practiced with the navigation controls, and read all the documents stored on the computer. I do mean all of them.] She smiled weakly. [I have a very good memory for information I have only seen or read once. Most Aurians do, especially with practice. I will be able to tell you about many things on our journey; everything I know about the planet, and anything I can think of about my people. If you’re going to help, I think you should know as much as possible. It will also impress them, once they meet you.]

The idea of the other Aurians actually meeting Dritz was not one she had thought over in much depth. They would be suspicious at first, maybe, but they would see how caring and wonderful he was, she was certain. How they would feel about Vela having chosen him as a partner was another matter.

[I don’t think we’ll be bored together, either. Besides what I will tell you, we can continue the games you have showed me. Maybe you could teach me your juggling? We would be able to relax a lot together.] Vela felt her face warm as she considered this. They would need to be together almost always aboard the ship, and she could imagine that being so close could lead to a new element in their relationship.

Dritz chirped with surprise, “Phew, eight months is a long time! It took me… Wow, maybe one and a half, two from Chrysala, but Pap wasn’t built for speed, he was solid and reliable. That’s why we were such good friends!” He laughed to himself before looking back at Vela with a grin.

“I’d really like you to teach me what you know. Planets and travel aren’t my best subjects. I mean, I know the basics of traveling, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it this far!” He draped both arms around her shoulders, kissing her forehead. “We’ll have you juggling like a pro, and me plotting courses, we’ll be multi talented by the end of our journey!”

[It is a long time. But it won’t take as long to get back, with the Nova’s engine upgraded.] Vela’s remaining eye had begun to shine with excitement at the thought of being able to travel for so long, as she did enjoy it. [Assuming we’ll be using the Nova, of course.]

She continued to smile softly as he spoke to her, putting his arms on her shoulders and kissing her forehead. It made her really think about how he seemed to enjoy kissing her, an act which was definitely not as common for Aurians. Based on his own behavior, she thought he might like it if she did the same more often.

[I will teach you everything I can. And you will teach me,] she signed, leaning back just long enough to do so. Then she leaned forward again so their knees touched, placing both her hands on his legs and stretching up to softly kiss his lips.

Dritz had been so distracted with being close to Vela, caught up in her excitement for their journey, that it was almost too much additional surprise to feel her hands on his legs and then her lips on his. The kiss was gentle and sweet, as it always was with her, but he felt a flicker of a deeper passion as he returned it, his face growing warm.

When they pulled away, he cleared his throat and grinned, “So… are we ready to go? We can get some sleep, pay up some rent on the room and then get straight to the journey? Most of our stuff isn’t unpacked yet, so it won’t take much to get ready before take off. Or… you wanna go now?” His eyes were twinkling with a sense of adventure that reflected her own.

Through one half-lidded eye, Vela watched Dritz for a moment after their kiss, able to tell he had enjoyed it and smiling in pleasure. There had been the promise of a little more that time, one that intrigued her, and she felt eager to see how much it could grow as they spent more time alone.

[I would love to go now,] she signed happily, [but we should be practical. I will handle the rent while you get some rest tonight, and then I will join you. It won’t take long to gather the rest of our things. Would you… mind showing me what clothes you are taking? I don’t really know what I should take…] The request had been partly serious and partly out of a curiosity to know what he might consider essential.

“Of course I’ll show you,” Dritz grinned, reaching up and playing with a small flick of white hair that was beginning to stick out from the rest.

-

Once they got back to their room, Dritz laid out the clothing he was taking. He had chosen some items for practical reasons, like heavy boots for colder climates and rougher terrain, lighter shoes for more temperate places, an enormous jacket with a soft, fur-like lining and an eye-watering tesselated pattern, two of his other ludicrously patterned lighter jackets, a thick, surprisingly muted sweater, numerous grubby vests and a set of overalls that were clearly for extended periods of engine work, a set of gloves, and finally a hat, which he explained he would need if they ended up very cold, to protect his antennae.

“If you, uh… Wanna borrow anything? You can. I don’t know how much you brought with you,” he offered as he folded his things away.

Vela studied all of the clothing Dritz laid out with care. It made sense to her, once she considered it. [I never had to think about different climates before,] she explained, even though he probably would have realized without her doing so. [But I’m also fine in normal temperatures with my heavier clothing, so it might be alright that I don’t have much lighter to wear yet.] She did, however, make a mental note to purchase more light clothing in the future, possibly even on the next planet they visited if such goods were available.

Similarly, she began taking out her own clothes and placing them next to Dritz’s before folding them into a bag. There were several sets of thick, warm tops and leggings, her own boots, long undergarments, and of course the vest he had chosen for her. His suggestion that she borrow clothes from him made her pause a long moment before giving a shy shrug.

[If I need to, that would be nice. Thank you. But… I’m not sure they suit me. They would be too big, but it’s more than that. I’m not sure the colors would look right on me.] Much as she admired the strange patterns and colors Dritz favored as an association with him, she was naturally hesitant to try something so different than what she was used to, wondering what he would possibly even think of her being dressed in any of his clothes.

Dritz laughed loudly, “Well yeah, but all of your own clothes are kinda too big for you!”

He touched the sleeve of the large, layered top she had been wearing when they first met, “Like this one. I reckon even I’d manage to fit in there.” Admittedly it would be snug, but that went without saying.

“As for colours, you never know until you try,” he said brightly, bringing a bright orange shirt from the clothing he wouldn’t be bringing up against her chest. “Hmmm… Orange is too overpowering because you’re a pretty pale flower, but how about-” he lifted a cobalt blue and yellow striped vest, “Yes. These colours look great, see?”

[I hadn’t thought of that,] Vela signed, a little embarrassed. It was true her clothes tended to be oversized, but maybe that was because she thought it meant they were warmer. [If you want to borrow it…] she teased suddenly, smiling.

She considered the colors he showed her, agreeing easily that the orange was too much. The vest did seem nice, however. [I’ll think about it. I just think I would look…. strange.] The lilac top had been one matter, but several bright colors at once felt like another. Of course, just because she was used to the black and white shades of Aurctas, it didn’t mean she had to dress the same forever. Not that she had ever considered wearing white…

[Fera,] she signed abruptly, remembering him from the color he habitually wore. [He was supposed to check on us occasionally, make it seem like he had a claim on me, to keep those men away. What will happen if he can’t find us for six months? But they might give up as well, if it appears we’ve gone.] It made sense she had forgotten about the Coronal prince until now, considering he was the last person she tended to want to think about.

Dritz snorted with amusement, shaking his head, “I get this feeling that if I wore it, it would end up even bigger on you!”

Mention of the prince of Coronus gave him pause, and for a few moments he seemed visibly shaken by the reminder. “Oh, crap… Yeah, you’re right. I mean… He doesn’t really seem to like us that much, right? So… It’ll be okay if he doesn’t see us?” he said uncertainly. The pink haired man remained such a mystery to him that he wasn’t even sure of his own words. “Maybe he’ll be happy, since he seems to see us as some sort of inconvenience.”

The room seemed quieter after that, with Dritz frowning just slightly, his antennae arched at the base but flat against his hair at the ends. “Anyway… We have to do our own thing too. If he wanted us to be around him more, he’d say. Or something. We can’t be at his beck and call.”

It was impossible not to notice the quieter mood that resulted from the mention of Fera. Vela agreed with Dritz’s thoughts on the matter, nodding to show her support. They did have to follow their own course, without having to stop and consider the whims of a rude and snobbish prince at every turn.

[He will probably forget all about us,] she signed reassuringly. [And so will those horrible men.] She couldn’t help but watch the way Dritz held his antennae. Lately she had been using them to gauge his moods, even if they usually didn’t deviate far from “happy.” To comfort him further, she moved forward to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace.

When she finally pulled back, she smiled at him. [It’s getting late, and most of our things are ready to go. Do you want to go to bed? I can finish the rest while I’m still awake, but… I can join you until you fall asleep, if you like.] The shy feeling was returning, even though she would currently like nothing more than to be held close to his warmth.

Vela had managed to successfully calm him, and soon all Dritz was thinking about was her body against his, and how much he was enjoying her squeezing him tightly. It pleased him that she seemed to be just as fond of cuddling as he was.

He hadn’t even thought about how tired he was feeling, but considering going to bed certainly brought attention to the fact. He nodded, his antennae relaxing back into their usual state, undulating lazily as he looked at her.

“I’d like it if we could carry on cuddling until I fall asleep, if you’re okay to?” he asked, stroking her hair once again.

Dritz was lightly touching her hair and Vela relaxed into it, now feeling slightly weary herself. She reached up to run her fingers along his arm before nodding. [I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I would love it.]

Shyly she waited as he removed his clothing down to his undergarments, and after another moment of thought she did the same. She was still fully covered, but the material was thinner, and she would be able to better feel his warmth, she had no doubt.

She watched him as he laid down and looked at her in a way which she could only describe as adoring. With a smile, she climbed into bed with him and without even thinking, turned around on her side so that he might wrap around her from behind. They had never done this before, but in Vela’s imagination it would turn out to be incredibly warm and comfortable.

For the first time, Dritz was somewhat shy when he removed his clothes, but not because he felt self conscious. Completely the opposite, in actual fact. It was flattering to be aware of Vela’s eyes on his body, and he wanted that feeling to last. He couldn’t help letting his gaze roam over her when she removed most of her own clothes too, leaving her dark, form fitting undergarment. He was fond of how it made her pale, almost translucent skin stand out.

After a moment of allowing her space to get comfortable, Dritz pressed himself against her back, throwing an arm around her and pulling her even closer, though that seemed impossible, and rubbing his nose against the finer hair at the nape of her neck, sighing contentedly. Knowing she couldn’t reply to him in her sign language, he kissed her shoulder blade and murmured, “Sleep well, flower.”

Vela couldn’t help a gentle sigh of her own as Dritz pulled her closer, and she was able to feel his warmth surrounding her. She couldn’t reply, unable to yet form the words she would like ('goodnight, sleep well’), but she managed to say them in her mind as she could feel herself beginning to drift off, more tired than she originally might have imagined.


	19. Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela talk about Trelos, and enjoy some juggling, during their journey.

It was only a few hours later when she awoke, refreshed. Dritz had moved in his sleep, flopping over on his back, and Vela took a moment to move over and gently kiss his cheek before getting out of bed and beginning to finish the last of the preparations. With everything packed and set by the door, she retrieved the datapad and got back into bed, curling up against the snoring Chrysalan as she began to read through her latest subject of interest.

When she knew Dritz would awaken in roughly an hour, she dressed and quietly left to obtain them some breakfast. Two steaming hot bowls of a thick, delicious porridge he had treated her to last week seemed the perfect choice, and would be welcomed against the thought of his dreaded “space food” soon to come.

She returned with the covered bowls and left them on the bedside table before crawling over to him once more, cuddling against him and nuzzling at his neck with a few light kisses.

Dritz stirred slowly, rubbing his face and chirping in the back of his throat. Still drowsy, he rolled over, pinning Vela down under him, though he was in enough of a mind to support himself either side so he didn’t rest his full weight on her.

“Got you,” he slurred into the nape of her neck. “No escape.”

He remained there for a long time, his breathing becoming softer and more even, making it seem as though he had fallen asleep again, until his antennae unfurled and perked up. He looked up, seeming more awake.

“Did you get breakfast already? Something smells so good…!” he said brightly.

Dritz rolling on top of her had been slightly unexpected, but Vela was more amused than surprised, in the end. He was actually being careful not to put too much weight on her, and it was quite a pleasant feeling. She smiled as he spoke against her neck, laying still and patiently to see if he would rouse on his own. Plus, if she had thought their cuddling last night had been warm… this was even better.

When he spoke again, seeming much more awake, Vela smiled and nodded. She waited for him to move off her so that she could sign, [Yes. It’s that porridge from last week, the one you like so much. I thought you would probably be missing it soon.]

Moving toward the table, she took both bowls and handed one to Dritz. The warm scent of spices drifted out even more when she took the lid off her own and picked up the spoon which fit inside it. They might as well eat in bed, or so she had thought to herself.

Everything about the Chrysalan brightened even further when Vela handed him a bowl of porridge. He beamed, eagerly opening the lid and taking a few gleeful spoonfuls of it, almost as though he was worried it would be taken from him. After a moment of cheerful chewing, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Thank you! This is an amazing thing to wake up to,” he gushed. “And an even better thing to wake up to and enjoy in bed.” He thought about winking at her after such a delightful double entendre, but he thought she might not understand, and that was, frankly, incredibly endearing.

“You sleep okay? We ready to get going as soon as I’m dressed?” he asked, before smiling more softly, “You must be excited.”

Glad that Dritz seemed to appreciate the fact they could eat in bed after it had been her idea, Vela’s smile widened. She nodded as he kissed her, hands busy with holding her bowl and spoon. After eating a while, however, she had to set them down and sign.

[I did. Everything is ready, we just need to carry the last bags to the ship.] She paused before nodding again. [I am excited. It’s a little hard to eat. This is an enormous journey, and something very important to me.]

She picked up the bowl and tried to resume eating, knowing she would need her strength even today, as much as the days ahead.

Dritz settled back against the pillows, watching her as he ate. He couldn’t possibly understand the emotional meaning it held for her, but he was determined to try his best to do so. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the thought of his fellow Chrysalans struggling in such a way as the Aurians did.

He set his bowl down and drew her attention, slowly and carefully signing to her, [We will make a good home for your people, but you will need your strong.] He wavered at the end, his signing stumbling and he shrugged sheepishly, “I was hoping that would be beautiful and the perfect thing to sign, but… I think I messed up. You know what I mean, though. You can’t help them if you’re not prepared physically too.” He picked up his bowl again, gesturing to hers in a manner that was almost stern, insistent.

Vela watched closely as Dritz signed, though she had to smile when he didn’t use the right word toward the end. It was close enough to be understandable, however, and as always when he signed, she was incredibly touched that he went through the effort for something he could much easier speak aloud.

[Thank you,] she replied, setting her own bowl down. [I understand. Maybe it will be easier once we are traveling.] With another grateful look, she continued eating and managed to finish the entire bowl, even if it was a struggle. At least Dritz seemed satisfied, and she took his empty bowl from him to add both to the disposal unit.

[Now you had better get dressed,] she signed almost playfully, though she was admiring his body and thinking about how warm he was all over again.

Blinking, Dritz looked down at himself, still only in his underwear, legs crossed and stretched out in front of him. “Really? Isn’t this a good look for me?” he asked with a smirk, featuring to himself with a flourish. He chuckled and stood, stretching. After a few minutes of roaming and collecting things, he reappeared in a threadbare but endearingly scruffy sweater and bright trousers, tugging his boots on with his same beam in place.

“‘Kay, I’m ready, let’s load up and get moving!” He stumbled into his shoes and posed, pointing out of their window and towards the simulated morning sky, “Onwards!”

Vela guessed she wasn’t meant to answer the question, only smiling slightly. She wanted to tell him that he did look fine no matter what, but couldn’t help but think he looked attractive in the sweater he had chosen. For now she had to resist the urge to touch it in various places where the material looked extra thin and soft.

Though she did not understand why he did it, she was amused at his antics, nodding with enthusiasm at the suggestion of getting underway. They carried the few remaining bags into the corridor, carefully locking the door behind them to keep the rest of their belongings safe. The Hesperus staff already knew they would be gone for an extended period, and there should be no disturbances otherwise.

Once on the Nova and with everything loaded, Vela could hardly contain herself. Now that it was finally happening, she could hardly believe it was true; she was looking for a new home for the Aurians, and she wasn’t alone while doing so. Liftoff was simple and the course was already laid, her effort combining with Dritz’s in a way which simply felt perfect. In fact, it was too much, and she leaned over to the Chrysalan as he sat in the chair near hers, hugging him tightly while fighting down the lump in her throat.

With the ship loaded up with supplies, they cleared for launch. Takeoff had become a smooth, fluid process for them now, almost like a dance, their timing improving at every attempt. They no longer needed visual prompting from each other, listening to the sounds of their movement or the change in the engine noise.

The Nova quietened to a low and familiar rumble as Vela threw her arms around Dritz, her head pressed firmly against his chest. With a soft, somewhat bewildered smile, Dritz stroked her hair, putting his free arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, hey… You alright, flower?” he asked soothingly. “Shall we have some tea, and you can tell me about this planet?”

Vela nodded in response as she moved back again, thinking that tea and some time spent talking about their destination would settle her more than anything right now. [I am very excited. And very… nervous,] she signed with a small smile. [I’m alright.]

They walked through to the kitchen, where Dritz insisted on handling the tea as she sat down at the table and watched him. There was a familiarity and comfort to his movements already as he performed this ritual as well, and her gaze never left him for even a moment.

Dritz bounded into the kitchen, cheerfully setting about making their tea once he was reassured that Vela was alright. He understood the nerves, given that everything would be uncertain, and there was so much at stake for her. While he couldn’t do much to help with the search for planets, he could be there with kind words, hugs and kisses, and he could make sure she was well prepared. And if he could persuade the overseers of Chrysala to help, then that would be his contribution too.

Setting the hot water and blossom down for Vela, Dritz plopped down opposite her. “So, what are we looking at first? I assume you have a few planets in mind, and this is just the closest?”

Vela set her blossom in the water before answering, as entranced by watching it unfold as ever. When she looked up again, she was able to smile and reply calmly.

[Yes, there are several planets. But this one is the closest, and also I think the best option. It is called Trelos.] She paused to spell out the name on the datapad so that Dritz could pronounce it. [It’s supported by two suns, and so it’s warm for most of the year. There are many plants, much of it being food which is exported off the planet. The Trelosians are very technology-minded, but they don’t do a lot with it other than farm. So far they have rejected any outside offers for assistance and are generally a peaceful people who are still capable of defending themselves and their home.]

She paused for a sip of her tea, inhaling the gentle fragrance. [There is also a lot of water on the planet… I like the sound of it. The Trelosians don’t inhabit more than a fourth of it, either. I think my people could become good at technology again and help them expand. But the problem would be convincing them in the first place. I suppose we would need to talk to them to figure out what it might take.] Wondering whether they would even have an interest was one of the problems Vela worried about most.

"Trelos,” Dritz read from the datapad, nodding. He had a feeling, from how enthusiastic Vela had been, that there would be more than one option she’d picked out for her people. It made sense for them to explore her first choice immediately.

He listened with a warm smile, only partially distracted by the sparkle in her eye. From what she knew, it seemed as though the Trelosians would be the perfect partners for the Aurians; peaceful and intelligent, though he did wonder if it might be difficult to get them to share their home with offworlders, if they weren’t of a mind for travel. These were issues that might dull Vela’s enthusiasm, and ones she had likely already considered.

“Well, that’s what we’ll need to find out. If they’re open to offworlders, we shouldn’t have much trouble at all, but if we do, that’s when the Chrysalan diplomat idea might come in handy. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think we can do it. Trelos sounds good for the Aurians,” he said confidently, beaming at her.

Vela nodded, finding some comfort in Dritz’s confidence. The Chrysalans could help, and the Trelosians could be persuaded, surely.

[It could be a beneficial partnership for them. They just need to be shown how.] The problem of how to go about that could be saved to think about later. [As for what they’re like physically, they are fairly small, shorter than most Aurians I think, with a purplish skin. Their skin is hardened, but it’s not like scales exactly… It’s hard to sign what I mean accurately. Maybe a picture would be better.] She quickly pulled one up on the datapad, showing it to him. The Trelosians’ skin certainly seemed to have a rough texture, but it wasn’t patterned in any discernable way. Despite being shorter, they appeared sturdy and strong, with other notable features being how there was no hair on their heads, and they all had short tails, which evolution had seemed to decide to start phasing out as a now-useless feature.

She sat back with a smile, letting Dritz flip through the pictures to see what he thought of them.

Dritz looked the pictures over carefully, “Oh, I think I’ve done business with a Trelosian before… it was a while ago, so she might have been a Lamorgan and I’m remembering her wrong.” He grinned, “You’ve really thought this through well, flower. I think we can really do this!”

“What are their exports? The easiest thing refugees can offer another planet is labour. There’s always work to be done, and always folk who aren’t physically capable. Maybe the Aurians can offer that? In fact, even if we can’t reach agreements any other way, labour is a good thing to fall back on. We know the Aurians are hardworking, and the Trelosians have farmland,” he suggested, sipping his tea thoughtfully.

[They don’t travel much. You might be misremembering,] Vela signed with a smile. [But it’s still possible.]

Dritz’s reassurance that she had chosen well and his repeated affirmation of their success brightened her mood even further. [They mainly export food, as I said. Vegetables which are native to Trelos, and some grains. I think they have to work very hard with their smaller population. They supply some nearby planets which can’t grow enough food of their own. They seem generous, and I feel like they would welcome the Aurians as laborers with some convincing. Or I hope so, anyway.]

She looked down into her own tea, lightly touching the blossom so that it spun in a slow circle. [I wonder how they would feel about Aurians being unable to speak aloud. It might be an inconvenience to them. The Trelosians have their own language, and most of them speak Basic. It might take too long to teach all of them the Aurian signs. I do worry about that.] Looking back up, she fixed her gaze on Dritz. [I want to see if I can learn to speak aloud, then the rest of my people might also be able to.] After a long pause, she said, “Driss,” before frowning in frustration. Why couldn’t her tongue form the 'tz’ sound?

The Chrysalan nodded. He had thought that he’d remember the species more vividly if he had actually met one. Come to think of it, it had been at a festival that he’d tried to secure the business. And… he had been drinking.

He smiled delightedly when she said his name as best she could, clapping encouragingly. “That was good! Maybe I can help you with some of the words? Like with my name, is it the 'tzzz’ sound that’s hard?” He shuffled closer, leaning over the table, nearly resting his chest on his tea until Vela expertly moved it out of the way, “You can make the 'sss’ sound well. Know how your tongue presses just ever so gently against your teeth or the roof of your mouth?” He opened his mouth and exaggerated said, “Sssseeeee? Well, for the 'tz’ sound, you need to push your tongue harder against them, and make the sound short. Like an electrical buzz. DrrriTTZZ, see?”

Continuing to frown, Vela carefully watched Dritz’s attempts to illustrate the mouth movements. While she wasn’t fully grasping how to move her tongue, speaking aloud never having been an issue before, she was able to vaguely copy him. “Drit,” she tried again, stopping short of the sound she felt she couldn’t make. “Driss,” she said, shaking her head.

[I’ll practice. Thank you for teaching me. You can teach me more while we travel? Maybe by the time we return to Hesperus, I will be speaking whole sentences.] It would definitely be odd to talk aloud, and she didn’t know how long it would take before she could speak for more than a few seconds without getting tired. But it was worth a try, and would help make a transition to another planet a little easier for both parties if she could succeed.

She finished the last of her tea, once again feeling a little sad that the blossom would be disposed of. There must be a way to preserve them, turn them into some sort of work of art. Another thing to think about during the long journey. [Unless you have any more questions about the Trelosians, we can talk about them more later. What would you like to do first otherwise? We do have a lot of time.] Her frown had finally returned to a smile, thinking with pleasure of the all the time they could spend in each other’s company.

As much as it was probably not helpful for her, Dritz couldn’t help but giggle at Vela, smiling warmly and taking her hand, “You’ll get it. We’ll have a little practice each day.” He signed, his grin widening, [It will be easier!]

He quite liked the idea of trying to help her with her spoken language. It only seemed fair to try and give back after she had been so kind as to teach him her language, and was continuing to do so even now. He couldn’t think of anything more that he would need to ask her, but rather than answer to that end, he leaned forward and gave her a short, but passionate kiss, pulling away with a grin.

“I dunno… Is there anything you want to do? We can play some cards, I can show you some juggling, we could just go and lounge around on the bed if you wanted to be a bit lazy for now?” he suggested. Really, all he wanted was her company.

Feeling herself warm from Dritz’s kiss, Vela looked away for a moment shyly. The thought of laying down together was always appealing, but at the moment she was finding herself more than a little awkward. By now, her body had fully accepted Dritz as a mate, changing somewhat to allow this, and it almost felt as though she was trying to delay the inevitable while at the same time wanting them to go further.

[What about showing me how to juggle? I have been wanting to learn. What do we use? Can we use anything? Does it all have to be the same size and shape?] She tried to slow her signing down, finding herself remarkably eager. Any chance to learn something new was welcome, no matter how silly, but especially if it was with Dritz nearby.

While Dritz felt a pang of disappointment, he quickly buried it. The time would come, and he needn’t be impatient, they had all the time in the galaxy.

Beaming, Dritz grabbed the juggling balls from where he had inexplicably left them in a cupboard in the kitchen area (who knew why he’d put them there) and held them up to her.

“They have to be the same size, really, and it helps keep you balanced,” he said, holding one in each hand. With each in turn, he threw the ball into the air a short distance, catching it before doing the same with the other hand. “This is good practice, just throwing them and catching them one-handed. I know a few ambidextrous folk, but I ain’t one of them, so this makes my right hand a bit more useful!”

Vela watched closely, attempting to do exactly as Dritz had shown her by just throwing one ball in each hand, which was simple enough. At least, she didn’t drop any, but a life spent working and speaking with her hands probably gave her a more natural dexterity with it. Hesitantly, without awaiting further instruction, she tried to keep them moving from one hand to another, but promptly dropped both. She gave them a little frown before looking back up at the Chrysalan.

[How do you keep them going around in a circle, the way you do?] she questioned eagerly. She was thinking it could be fun if they were able to do this juggling at the same time, quite skillfully.

Dritz laughed, taking the balls back from her and showing her once again to throw and catch them with each hand.

“So, you had this bit easily. Next you need to start moving them between your hands. I find it easier to move to the left, because it’s my more dexterous hand, but I think you’ll manage both,” he explained. Slowly as he could, he threw a ball in the air to his left hand, which still held the other ball, catching it next to it. “The idea now is to use the time the first ball is in the air to pass the second one to your other hand.”

He demonstrated, again as slowly as he could, throwing one ball up and passing the other between his hands, “Make sure to keep your eye on the higher one, that’s the one that will usually go wrong, if anything is gunna.”

A second time, Vela watched as closely as she could. Dritz made it look easy, especially as she knew he could do it much faster.

Her second attempt went better once she had studied the motions for some time. Even with only one eye that could see properly, her coordination was so good that she picked up on the motions and was able to copy them with only a small fumble here and there. She had to smile as Dritz praised her, though she set the balls down on the table to sign to him eagerly.

[What’s next? Can I do three? How many can you juggle at once?] Already she was imagining being able to show this wonderful skill to other Aurians, certain they would be in awe at something they never might have imagined before.

Dritz laughed, clapping for her with enthusiasm. “Look at you! You’re better than me already,” he huffed, producing another ball and showing her how to juggle with three. He couldn’t help but try to show off a little, standing to show her but ending his demonstration with a variation on what he had been doing, criss-crossing his hands between throws with a flirtatious wiggle of his eyebrows. To finish, he threw all three into the air in turn, spinning, and catching them before bowing.

“Couldn’t resist,” he chuckled. “But I reckon you’ll be doing that by tomorrow, if this lesson is anything to go by. Here!” He threw each to her, high and easy, beaming when she caught them gracefully.

[I’m not,] Vela protested with a smile. This was especially true as she watched him perform for her, staring in awe but able to follow the motions easily enough. She attempted to clap the way he did when he was pleased with something she had done, though it felt strange to her.

[You did wonderfully,] she signed in admiration. [I won’t try to do all of that yet.] She caught Dritz’s throws with ease and held them a moment before frowning in concentration. Her attempt to juggle with three went well, as unsteady as she was in the beginning. Yet she could see herself gaining in this skill easily, which honestly delighted her.

[Maybe that’s enough for today.] Dritz was very appreciative of her efforts, but she knew she would rather master juggling slowly, as she enjoyed him teaching her. [Thank you.] She very lightly tossed the three balls back toward him as she approached, leaning up to kiss him just after he caught them.

The Chrysalan laughed gleefully when he was applauded, shaking his head, “Thank you, but I’m afraid that’s the extent of my fancy work. I can get up to five, but three is the maximum I can do to any sort of skillful level. I tend to drop five more often than not.”

Apparently not content showing his skill the once, Dritz launched into a simple juggle as he caught each ball before setting them down, catching a sweet kiss from Vela as he did so. “If I leave 'em here, you can use them whenever you like, okay?” he said cheerily, stroking her hair. “What do you wanna do now?”

Vela’s smile was wider than normal as she gazed at Dritz, her happiness complete as she began to realize just how much time they had together. [We can do anything at all.]


	20. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela and Dritz get intimate.

A few weeks had passed since Vela’s first juggling lesson, and her skill had improved dramatically. Dritz was a bit grumpy (though in a good-natured way) that she was using five balls without dropping them very much. More than anything he seemed proud of her, and on occasion they would juggle together, trying to coordinate with each other’s movements in a way which greatly amused her.

The rest of their time had been spent in various activities around the ship, where they played games, Vela taught what she knew of as many topics as Dritz might be interested in, and more than anything they spent time just resting together and talking between routine maintenance and careful observation of the Nova’s flight. They continued well on course without any troubles, with just over two months remaining until they reached Trelos, and neither of them seeming bored yet.

Lately it felt as though they had grown closer. Vela thought that Dritz must notice it too, because she sometimes would catch him just gazing at her in an adoring or longing way when he thought she wouldn’t notice. She would also catch herself thinking about him even as he slept at her side. It was almost as though she wanted this time to last forever, even if she truly did want to arrive at Trelos and attempt to help her people.

In a rare moment of time alone one day, a different thought had come into Vela’s head. She carefully crept to the bunk room, even knowing Dritz was not there, and headed to the closet with sudden purpose.

The time spent drifting through space on their beautifully plotted course was one of the most wonderful times Dritz could recall. Never had he felt so certain of his attachment for someone, so positive of the goodness in their blossoming relationship, so comfortable around someone. Dritz had “dated” once or twice back on Chrysala, but nothing that had ever felt so easy or natural. Vela was undoubtedly special.

It came to a point around half a month into their trip that he got itchy for something mechanical to do, and had wriggled part way into the engine to examine it, leaving Vela to her own devices. She often sat by him, but occasionally she would grow restless herself, and rightly so. As he had said to her, watching his legs sticking out from the engine had to be as interesting as a plate of steamed rice.

After a while of tightening fittings and making a mental note of pieces that could be replaced for newer parts, if only to satisfy his itch, Dritz slipped out, sitting up and stretching.

“Everything okay, flower?” he bellowed over the rumble of the engine, standing to start looking for her.

There was no sound which reached Vela across the ship, but she thought she would be safe for some time, with the way Dritz could get around machinery. This was her best chance, after all. She had debated doing it while he slept before, but there was always the chance he might wake up. It wasn’t that she was doing something forbidden… but she was so cautious about the subject that she did not want Dritz to know what she had done until later, if it went well.

Despite what Dritz had originally set out to pack, the following morning he had thrown a few more colorful shirts into his bag, joking he would miss them too much if they were left behind. Vela was able to easily spot them hanging in the closet now and chose one at random: sleeveless and bright turquoise with yellow slashes. She quickly removed her own dark top and let it slip to the floor, putting on Dritz’s shirt instead.

Initially she smiled, enjoying the scent of the shirt and the thought it belonged to someone dear to her. Then she frowned, seeing how baggy it was and prone to slipping down her shoulders. She wondered briefly whether or not it would look better without her leggings, so it would hang straight, and she removed those too.

Her image in the mirror made her stare in uncertainty. The colors were alright, she thought. It was almost like something called a “dress,” which she had read about at one point in the past. She wasn’t sure if she liked the sight of her slim, pale legs showing beneath the hem of the shirt, or the way her chest was under constant threat of being exposed thanks to the wide shoulders trying to slide down. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea after all, and Dritz didn’t need to know about it.

Sometimes Dritz still couldn’t get out of the old habit of calling out to Vela and expecting a response, but it had at least become second nature to start moving towards where he expected her to be.

On his way through the ship, he stopped to wash his hands, despite them not being all that dirty. As he did, he frowned to himself. When did he last see her? It wasn’t as if she’d have gone anywhere, of course, but he did realise that he’d perhaps gotten engrossed in what he was doing for longer than anticipated.

He eventually made his way to the bedroom, idly singing her name over and over, stopping abruptly when he found her, so much beautiful pale skin on show, wearing one of his vests. He paused, eyes wide and antennae perking up, a smile slowly spreading over his face.

“Look at you-!” he said, his voice soft and full of admiration. “That is… Wow. It’s a very good look on you.”

Still studying herself in the mirror, Vela was only vaguely aware of a sound approaching, but wasn’t really thinking about it. When the sound turned into Dritz repeating her name in a musical sort of way, she realized what was happening and froze in place as she knew he had now entered the room.

What he said was surprising, and she turned at last with a curious but apprehensive look, quickly beginning to sign. [I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go through your clothes, but I had just been thinking about how you-] She paused here, the vest beginning to slip down her arms much too far, meaning she had to stop and pull it up. Keeping her elbows close to her body might help, but it also made her signing a little awkward. [Thinking about how you said they would look nice on me. But I don’t really think so.] She tried to turn away again, feeling a sudden sense of modesty over her appearance. Dritz might simply be attempting to be kind, when she really looked awful.

He’d been completely focused, as he always was. Of course he was. It was Vela, he listened to everything she had to say.

But then the vest slipped down her shoulders and Dritz forgot she’d been talking at all.

“I think you look lovely,” he said quietly, moving up to her and putting her arms around her, squeezing her gently. “This blue looks especially nice against your skin.” He kissed the top of her head, her soft, feathery hair tickling his face. “And, y'know… I think you look great wearing so, um… So little.”

Vela relaxed into the embrace, resting her head against Dritz after she felt his kiss. If he thought it was alright, then it must be.

[It feels strange,] she eventually stepped back to sign. [Aurians never wear so little. I guess that’s why I don’t know what to think of myself. But thank you, I’m glad that’s what you feel.] Maybe this was a risk worth taking, if he truly enjoyed it so much. She couldn’t see herself wearing so little all of the time, but for now…

A little bolder, she moved toward him again, putting her arms up around his neck and nuzzling her face close to him. She wasn’t thinking much about how this caused the vest to become even “shorter,” but it wasn’t a problem she had ever encountered before.

“Well, I guess you wouldn’t,” Dritz said, his eyebrows raised, “You’d be… Real cold. But, uh, I guess it’s nice and warm in the ship, huh?”

His voice had become softer, and his usual firm embrace was lighter. He was almost painfully aware of Vela’s thighs and backside becoming more exposed as he let a hand run down her back and he found the bottom hem of the shirt far higher than he had seen it when he’d come in.

“It’s a little short for you though, isn’t it?” he whispered, a hint of laughter in his voice as he leaned down to kiss her gently.

Initially startled, Vela just barely managed to keep herself from pulling away to be sure the shirt was lowered far enough. But to be honest, what was the harm? She and Dritz were partners, even if not lovers just yet. As she began to think of it… were they waiting for anything beyond greater comfort with each other? Because they were quite comfortable with each other now, or at least she thought so.

She did have to move away to speak again, the shirt slipping back into place. [Do you want to lay down for a while?] she asked, her motions somehow shy. [I’m not tired, but I thought it would be nice. And you could take your shirt off. It would be equal that way.] The last part had come out more teasing than she had initially thought she could be. If the Chrysalan felt the same way she did, then…

The Chrysalan laughed loudly, “Oh, I see how it is. Can’t get enough of my glorious body.” He grinned, cupping her face and kissing her once more before stepping back and tugging his shirt off without hesitation or any hint of shyness.

He pulled her to the bunk and arranged them comfortably, with Vela almost lying on him. He draped his arms around her languidly, his grin becoming softer once more.

“You really do look cute in my vest,” he murmured, stroking her fluffy hair.

Vela smiled down at Dritz as he continued playing with her hair, able to lean back just enough to allow for signing. [Thank you. I’m glad I tried it on, then. But I do like how you look, it’s true.]

She had been afraid he was joking that she didn’t have a reason to enjoy his body. While Aurians were not attracted to specific parts as such, she wanted him to know what they were attracted to, and the fact that her attraction to him was real.

[For my people, a larger size is preferred,] she signed slowly. [It means you have more warmth to share. It doesn’t mean we push aside anyone who is smaller. But if you do have a partner with a larger body size, it’s definitely good.] Hesitantly, not sure how he would feel about it, she reached down to gently run her hand across his stomach for a moment. [You are very warm.] This was considered an extremely positive compliment to an Aurian, though of course she didn’t know what Dritz might think of it.

Dritz cocked his head to one side, a lopsided, slightly bemused smile on his face. With a moment’s thought, it made sense for the Aurians to value warmth above anything else.

The way she had signed, put her hand on his stomach, the warmth in her face, all meant that he really believed she was drawn to him, physically as well as emotionally.

“You won’t meet many of my people who look like this,” he chortled, “Mooosst Chrysalans tend to be lean, like you. I mean, it’s not like I’m an oddity or anything, a lot of my family are similar, but yeah.” He shrugged, grinning for a moment before stroking her face again.

“I like that I can keep you warm. I’d like to make sure you’re always warm,” he muttered.

[Then you are special. And I am lucky,] Vela signed with confidence, touching his stomach one more time before moving her hand up toward his neck and face, touching the darker spots of color there. Everything about Dritz intrigued her, actually, from his bright cheerfulness and ability to bring her more amusement than she had ever experienced, down to all of the physical differences she could see between them. She was beginning to cherish all of it, and wanted to continue to do so. [I think you will keep me very warm.]

For now she stopped trying to talk as she studied him. She was halfway leaning over him to begin with, but slowly moved over a little more, easing one of her legs between his so that she could press against him and lower her head to kiss his lips. There was more passion in this kiss than most before, and she could feel the heat of it plainly. She did not pull away from it this time, wanting to know if Dritz felt the same.

“Hey-” Dritz began softly, the words dying in his throat as she trailed a hand up his torso. He watched her with half-lidded eyes, colour spreading over his face. He had never expected the silent newcomer he had met on the station to churn his stomach and make his heart flutter in such a way, but her obvious interest in his body, the way she had grown excited about learning the skills he had, the way they worked together… It couldn’t be a coincidence. This was supposed to happen. At least, he thought so.

Overcome with a sudden passion and need, he returned the kiss with vigor, sliding a hand down to her rear, slipping the vest up before squeezing more firmly than he had meant to, and for longer than intended, such was his eagerness. He quickly broke their kiss, his usual comedic grin not quite matching the concern and embarrassment in his eyes.

“Sorry,” he breathed, “I, uh… I got a bit carried away, there.”

Dritz lifting the vest to touch her didn’t startle her at all; in fact, she felt a sudden chill which was far from the unpleasant sort she would have suffered on Aurctas. This one seemed to radiate from her stomach before the rest of her flushed into an incredibly pleasant warmth.

She pulled back when he broke the kiss, giving him a gentle smile. [Don’t be sorry. I want you to touch me.] As much as she longed to continue, she knew there was something important to discuss beforehand.

[I need to tell you about how Aurian bodies work.] It had been a fairly blunt statement, once which seemed ominous, but wasn’t actually. Vela moved back in order to sit up and look at Dritz properly, thinking this was still incredibly important.

Dritz had not expected Vela to say that she wanted his touch. He had wanted her to, but some doubt still tried to convince him she would have pulled away, or told him to stop. To see her encourage him to continue set his stomach fluttering in a giddy, wonderful way, and he leaned up to kiss her again, but was halted by her signing.

“Oh?” he asked, sounding concerned, curious and surprised. He hadn’t even considered that she might be different to any other humanoid alien. The fact that he had been assuming how her body worked embarrassed him. He shuffled into a sitting position himself, pleased to note that Vela had ended up perched on his thigh.

Vela nodded, hoping Dritz was not overly concerned, while at the same time only just realizing the way she was sitting by straddling his leg. A little embarrassed (though admittedly enjoying the sensation), she did her best to explain the situation to him.

[You probably remember what the Merrgani said about me. They’re only partly right. Aurians aren’t born with a sex as you would know it, male or female. We are all born the same.] She paused for a long moment, trying to think how to describe it using words Dritz already knew in sign language. [When we choose a partner and form a bond… our bodies begin to change, for the sake of reproduction. So I suppose then we become male and female, even though we don’t think of it like that. The change seems to be random, but our bodies know which to select, somehow. And if someone who’s bonded loses their partner, their next unbonded partner will become the opposite sex.]

Taking a deep breath, she looked away toward the edge of the bed. [So I believe my body has changed to accommodate yours. But we wouldn’t be able to produce children. There were experiments done, long ago. I know you must think this is all strange… but I had to tell you.] Would he even want to continue after hearing something like this? Fretting over it, she found it was still difficult to return her gaze to him.

The mention of the Merrgani made Dritz tense up, and while he remained neutral in his expression, his antennae had curled into a perked up position.

“I think I understand,” he said carefully. He hadn’t noticed any change in her shape… But then the changes were probably strictly… Concealable. “Your physiology is fascinating. I mean, not in a freaky way, ‘cuz there are races who reproduce asexually if they want, and intersex races and stuff, I mean that in a good way. It’s like, you must be attached to me the same way I am to you, because it wouldn’t have been that way if you didn’t genuinely want us to be partnered like this… Right?” he rambled, seemingly plucking any stray thoughts from his mind as they came to him.

“Does it, well, change anything? Y'know, about this particular situation?” he added, looking concerned.

Vela nodded again, still cautious in her explanations. [I have researched the sexual behavior of many species.] Her face warmed quickly after admitting this, thinking it must sound strange. [Just… just while I was reading everything. Regarding the way we individually function, no. I don’t think it will change much. We just have to go slowly to be sure.]

She finally looked at him fully, her good eye softening as she reached up to touch his face. [My body wouldn’t have changed if it hadn’t accepted you. And I want you. But… you said you were attached to me too? What does that mean?] She shifted her body forward, closing the distance between them somewhat.

Dritz couldn’t help but laugh at Vela’s 'research’. He knew exactly what she meant, she’d mentioned her studies of the world outside of Aurctas before, but he couldn’t resist a chance to tease her just a little. “Oh?” he said, wide-eyed, “I had no idea you were that sort of person!” He stuck his tongue out at her, however.

“Slowly is fine by me, flower,” he said gently, again stroking her face, his fingers sliding up to the fluffy hair at her temples, as they often did. “Attachment for us is… different. It’s more emotional. I can’t prove my attachment in the same way you can. I want you just as much, but for me it’s signs like, I think about you a lot. You’re my first and last thoughts of the day, for example.” With a sheepish shrug, he added, “And my body responds to yours. Obviously.” He snickered a little at this.

Vela was starting to get better at telling when Dritz was teasing her, and she only smiled and shook her head. As he continued speaking, she reached up to touch his hand as he stroked her hair.

[I see. Even if you can’t prove it the same way, I believe you. And I want you to know I think about you like that, too.] The idea of being in his thoughts immediately as he started his day brought her an especially happy feeling.

[Sometimes I’ve noticed that,] it was her turn to tease in response. It was not as though she was completely oblivious to the way he would sometimes look at her, and some of his body language in particular. [If you really want this, now that I’ve told you everything…]

She didn’t wait for an answer, leaning forward again to force Dritz to lay back down, resting her face by his neck and kissing it so that he could reply if he wanted. The vest had slid up again, but Vela was incredibly close to wanting to remove it entirely. It was a very unusual thing for her to want to be naked, but at a time like this…

Dritz snorted with amusement, completely delighted to have Vela teasing him back. Her sassy side was incredibly appealing when it cropped up.

He pulled her down with him, trying to pretend to himself that it was he who was in control of the situation. “I think that much is obvious,” he purred in her ear, stroking both hands down her sides, over first fabric and then flesh, which he couldn’t resist squeezing again. He drew his hands back up, dragging the vest with them, watching her reaction carefully.

Vela exhaled softly as she felt the vest being lifted, knowing it was what she wanted and now feeling no shame or fear at all to be completely exposed in front of Dritz. She wiggled back slightly in order to get the vest over her arms and then head, letting it fall beside her before kissing him again.

They kissed for some time as she felt his hands roam over her body, but soon that wasn’t enough. She rolled off and onto the bed to lay beside him, tugging at the waistband of his trousers with the slightest bit of a suggestive, yet still shy smile.

The Chrysalan obviously didn’t need any more encouragement, and he immediately wriggled out of his trousers, lifting Vela to him to kick them off the bed. He looked her up and down with half-lidded eyes, trailing calloused fingers over her ribs and stomach.

“You’re so pretty,” he said softly. The concept of alien beauty was still fairly new to him, but he knew exactly what he thought of Vela’s soft hair, lean muscle and smooth, pale skin. He admired how their bodies looked together, the sheer differences between them. Pulling her closer, he kissed her deeply, fingers running through her hair.

[So are you,] Vela signed lazily, unable to come up with any better words at the moment. It was too much effort to sign just then, plus it was very awkward to try, as all she wanted to do press her body against his and respond to the kiss. But she thought it held true, regardless; she was in great admiration of his skin, a color she had rarely seen on Aurctas, as well as his size, softness and warmth beyond anything she had ever felt before. An overwhelming sense of how lucky she was washed over her once again.

As much as she did want to continue, uncertainty stopped her for another moment. She was inexperienced, as much as she trusted some of the information she had read. With visible effort, she pulled away to speak to Dritz. [Have you done this before? If you want to lead…] Trying to feel less awkward about needing to ask, she stroked his back gently as she leaned her face near his.

Dritz nodded. While it wasn’t entirely true, he didn’t feel there would be any benefit in going into detail, given the obvious anticipatory tension in the room already. Instead he lifted her, switching their positions so that she was lying down and he could lean over her. With another soft kiss, he moved down her body, kissing her chest and stomach before moving down to her hips and thighs, raising his head enough to say, “If you like what I’m doing, tap this shoulder. If you don’t, tap this one, and we’ll stop. That way you’ll be able to communicate to me without complicating it with signs. That okay?”

With enough encouragement from Vela, Dritz returned to her thighs, using his mouth to make his way between her legs, this time lightly running his tongue over her skin.

Dritz’s plan to communicate was more than fine with Vela, though she was left wondering what his actual experience might be. In the end she decided it didn’t matter, especially when his lips and tongue began producing such delightful sensations that she couldn’t have imagined possible before. Vaguely she also wondered if he would like the same done to him, promising herself to try it next time.

Her shivering was from delight, not temperature. If anything she felt feverish, longing. It was a new experience for her, with her body recently changed and now capable of these wonderful feelings. Her breath was soft and almost panting as she tapped Dritz on the shoulder to stop him, but only because she wanted more in a way she couldn’t describe otherwise and she hoped he would understand what to do.

Instantly, Dritz stopped, sitting up with a panicked expression. Had she not liked it? He’d been taking her gentle movements as encouragement, and the thought that she might have been trying to move away concerned him. When he looked at her properly, however, it was a very different story. From her flushed skin and dark eye he could see immediately that his fears were nothing to worry about.

With heavily beating hearts the two shared a longing, tension filled kiss, leaving no further uncertainty about giving in to their passion for one another.

—

Several days had passed since their first time together, but it certainly hadn’t been their last. The act brought a new sense of intimacy to the relationship, one that Vela hadn’t even known was possible. Maybe it wasn’t necessary, but they both enjoyed it and were choosing to continue.

It was after one such time when they were laying comfortably close together in bed, only covered by a thin sheet. Vela always wanted to stay close afterward, as Dritz was even warmer then, and after several minutes of quiet cuddling, she moved back to sign with a smile.

[You said I was pretty.] That first day remained in her head sometimes, a beautiful thought to carry with her. [What do you like about me?] Her curiosity was genuine, even if the question had been delayed somewhat. She only had a sense of looking quite similar to other Aurians, meaning she should not stand out at all.

Since their first time together, Dritz couldn’t help but wonder if they had started something of an addiction. He’d been almost unable to keep his hands off Vela, and he’d been giddy to realise she obviously felt the same. Okay, so he’d gotten a bit heavy for her, and there had been the slightest awkwardness, but somehow those things had added to it for him. Seemed like a weird thing to admit, however.

Stretching out languidly, Dritz reached up and cupped her face. “You just… Are,” he shrugged, dazed and warm in the lingering pleasure, “Your eye is a nice colour I’ve never seen on anyone else before, and I think your mechanical eye is amazing too. Makes you unique. I like that you look delicate at a casual glance, but if someone pays real attention, you’re strong. An’ your hair is so soft… It frames your face really nice. You have a cute bum too.” He grinned, already anticipating her familiar look of confusion, often combined with a little frown.

Vela smiled, touching his arm as she listened. It wasn’t so surprising to hear him mention her eyes, or her hair, at least she supposed. [I’m not as strong as you,] she offered in amusement, while still seeming to understand what he meant. He might be referring to her character over her physical capabilities. [Thank you. I’m glad you enjoy those things.]

The last part did confuse her, and she gave him the slightest frown. [A cute… what?]

Dritz shook his head, chuckling. “I just mean that when people look at you, they’d think you’re just slender, but you have secretly strong muscles!” His tone was nothing but enthusiastic about that fact.

He laughed even more when he was forced to explain exactly what part of her anatomy he was referring to. “The soft part below your back but above your legs?” he laughed, reaching down and giving her backside a gentle squeeze. “Here,” he said with a grin, though he needn’t have illustrated it, he supposed. Still. Who could resist?

Vela tilted her head, smiling softly. She supposed that was true; she was a bit stronger than she might look. And anything Dritz admired about her had to be a good thing.

The answer to her question, however, was quite baffling. Her eyebrows drew down as she tried to figure out what the attraction was (though it would definitely explain Dritz’s apparent fondness for rubbing and squeezing that area, especially when they were in bed together.) In the end she had to give up, back to smiling anyway.

[I see. I don’t understand, but that’s alright. As long as you like it, though I’m not sure why…] She moved over to kiss him, lingering there for a long moment. [Like I said before, Aurians aren’t attracted to parts. At least not usually. Is it something specifically appealing to Chrysalans?] This wasn’t something she had read before, so of course she wanted to understand.

It took a great deal to embarrass Dritz, or otherwise make him feel awkward, but there was something about their conversation that was somehow managing just that. He chuckled in an odd way, shaking his head.

“It’s, uh, it’s not specifically a Chrysalan thing, but it is definitely a me thing,” he admitted with a shrug, “I have to wonder if the attraction to certain body parts comes from our earlier human ancestry… It’s a pretty human trait, huh? Like, I have a friend on Chrysala who likes long, shapely legs, and another who finds smaller, more rounded wings to be more attractive. It’s odd… what sort of things to Aurians become attracted to, aside from the ability to retain heat?” he grinned, teasing his fingers through her hair.

Shaking her head, Vela had to admit that she didn’t really know. Humans were strange, based on what she had read about them. At least Orion had seemed alright when they met him.

[It’s interesting though. I guess not being focused on survival means you can develop other interests.] She closed her eye momentarily as Dritz played with her hair, then opened it again with a smile. [Heat and size. I’ve never asked anyone else that question, so I don’t know.]

She examined him closely for a moment before deciding on a confession of her own. [I think… for me, I’m also attracted to how soft you are. I think you’re very soft.] There was no other way to put this into words, and she genuinely meant nothing other than “soft.” As if to illustrate, she placed on hand on his stomach before moving to kiss it. The action felt a little silly, but she wanted to show her appreciation. [Aurians are never warm and soft. I think you’re incredible.]

“It’s strange to think there are still races that need to focus so much on survival,” Dritz muttered to himself, staring up at the metal ceiling, his tone decidedly contemplative. “Makes ya think how silly your worries are.”

His reverie was broken when Vela signed again, before kissing his exposed stomach. He squirmed in surprise, yelping at the unexpected kiss. “I ought to have guessed that. You seem very preoccupied by that area,” he laughed, still wriggling. With a fond grin, he pulled her up so they were level again and wrapped both arms around her, half flopping ontop her.

“We should maybe check the ship things,” he said lazily. “And eat. You hungry, flower?” He shifted just enough to allow her to sign (as well as allow her to breathe freely).

Dritz’s movements made Vela’s smile wider, and she gladly accepted the embrace as he ended up laying nearly on top of her as he did so. Her own squirming was more from a contented feeling rather than a feeling of wanting to escape. She would have been more than happy to remain right there, but Dritz had a point.

[Yes, we’ll check the ship. And eat, too.] Of course this meant getting up and finding at least a minimum of clothes. Vela chose a fairly lightweight tunic which hung halfway to her knees and nothing else, as she felt she wanted to try getting more accustomed to fewer clothes in general. Her bare feet felt cool against the metal floor, but it really wasn’t so bad.

With one more kiss and embrace from Dritz, she started to make her way toward the bridge while leaving him to either follow and help or start on their meal, whichever he might wish.

Dritz rolled off Vela properly, allowing her to stand and leave. As she dressed, he made something of a show of stretching out languidly, pretending he was getting up while shamelessly eyeing her lithe frame, at least until it was covered by her tunic. Once she had left, Dritz flopped out of bed and tugged on his misshapen sweater and more snug-fitting trousers, remaining barefoot as she had.

“I’ll start our food, gimme a sh-… Raise the alarm if you need anything,” he called, wincing as he made the mistake. Once in the kitchen he set about making their breakfast; a protein rich, fruit flavoured porridge substitute that turned out to be far tastier than they had anticipated.

Vela first went to check their course, making sure there had been no major deviations. The detection system for asteroids and other debris in space could sometimes move them off just enough to alter the route; fortunately, this had not occurred in some time. Actually looking at the course properly, however, made her heart begin to pound faster, and not in the pleasant way it had been when spending time with Dritz of late.

Almost automatically she checked the rest of the settings, finding nothing amiss, then slowly wandered toward the kitchen to find Dritz preparing their food. She sat at the table and waited for him to finish, trying to keep the frown from her face.

Unaware of Vela’s presence behind him as he 'cooked’ (as much as adding hot water to dried powder could be), Dritz had started to sing to himself, some terribly catchy pop tune he remembered being popular on Chrysala before he left, and it was so fun that he had idly begun shaking his hips.

When he finally turned with both of their bowls in hand, he stopped, half shocked to see Vela there, half concerned that something was wrong. She didn’t… Look quite herself.

“You okay, beautiful?” he said brightly, hoping she perhaps was just deep in thought. Something was off, he just couldn’t tell what or why.

Vela was at least slightly amused by watching Dritz until he turned around, almost feeling better before she remembered their progress on the course. Then her stomach turned, and the worry set in again.

[I’m fine. And everything is fine with the ship,] she signed to him with a weak smile as he set a bowl of porridge substitute in front of her. She recognized it as being a meal they had actually found appealing, but at the moment she thought the smell of it was almost nauseating.

What if the Trelosians merely scoffed at the suggestion of taking in her people before turning them away? There were other planets, but she hadn’t realized her heart was so set on Trelos until they had started getting much closer. It had been a foolish mistake.

She picked up her spoon and forced herself to take a bite, chewing very slowly and making very little progress when compared to Dritz’s enthusiastic appetite.

Though he could tell something was not right, Dritz decided to trust what Vela was saying, and set about enthusiastically eating his porridge, thinking about their cuddling earlier as he chatted idly about the ship, talking maintenance and previous concerns, almost more thinking out loud to her. He normally would not, but in the time they’d spent together, he’d learnt that the Aurian woman actually enjoyed his voiced thoughts.

Again, though, something was off, and he could still sense it. He looked at her very closely for a moment, watching her eat. Or simply attempt to.

“Do you not like it?” he asked, sounding slightly confused. “It can’t have expired, it tastes fine to me. It is a slightly different flavour to the one we had last week, but I thought you might like it.” He paused. No… it couldn’t be the food, he was certain she’d have said something if she didn’t like it.

“You’re not fine,” he said simply.

Despite her best attempts to appear normal, Dritz was starting to watch her closely, as though he was catching on to the fact she had been just a little dishonest about the way she was feeling. He always did seem to watch over her intake even on a normal day, as it seemed to matter to him greatly that she was properly fed.

The nausea had gone, but the food still wasn’t appealing. Vela felt he didn’t need to know how silly she had been to become so anxious over what was about to happen, so she quickly shook her head. [It tastes fine. It’s good. Maybe I’m not as hungry as I thought.] He would realize she had not eaten in as long as he had, which was quite a while, considering they had spent what would amount to the entire afternoon in bed together.

To potentially reassure him, she took a large spoonful and put it in her mouth, instantly regretting it as she felt almost as if she had forgotten how to chew. It was very trying to have Dritz stare at her so hard as she forced herself to swallow it, giving him a weak but hopeful smile. That might be convincing enough for him… maybe.

“No, no, no,” Dritz sighed. “You ate at the same time as I did yesterday, and I’m ravenous. I know there’s a difference between us here, but you can’t not be hungry. You hadn’t moved when I woke up, so I don’t believe you got up to eat, not least because you’ve neeever done that yet.” He leaned back, regarding her closely, folding his arms.

From the way she attempted to shove a much larger spoonful of porridge into her mouth, and failed at eating it at all, he knew there was something very wrong.

He stood and fetched a cup, holding it up to her, “You wanna spit that out, if you can’t eat it at the moment?”

Sitting back down, this time next to her, he put an arm around her, kissing her hair, “You need to eat. If you’re not feeling unwell, and you don’t dislike the food, I need you to eat some. Please. We’ll be getting to Trelos whenever we might be, and we will both need to be in good health.” He lifted her face to his, looking at her firmly, “Don’t make yourself sick.”

Shaking her head quickly, Vela turned aside from the cup and covered her mouth until she had managed to finish chewing and swallowing her food, not wanting to do something wasteful. But she supposed not eating when Dritz had prepared it for her in the first place would have also been wasteful.

She turned her face away as he spoke to her, heart feeling heavy. Of course he was right; she needed her strength, which meant eating. When he redirected her to look at him, she nodded.

[I know. I’m sorry. I was just looking at the navigation chart and thinking about how close we’re getting now. And it made me feel scared. I’ve put too much confidence in the Trelosians accepting the idea. What if they don’t? It made me lose my appetite, and I just didn’t want you to know how silly I’ve been. I can try to eat. Maybe if you fed me,] she suggested, mostly joking with a weak smile.

Much as he agreed she had been silly, Dritz knew how important the whole thing was to her, and understood such anxiety. His expression softened, and he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead again, “Hey, listen to me now, if the Trelosians don’t go for the idea, we will find someone else, somewhere else, I promise. I’m here for you, and we can do this together, okay?”

After a moment, his soft smile deepened into a mischievous smirk and he picked up her spoon, taking a small amount from her bowl and lifting it up in front of her, rubbing her lower back, “Now, shall we try again?”

Dritz’s reassurance went far toward making Vela feel better, prompting her to wonder why she hadn’t addressed it with him the first place. He was always so comforting whenever she felt even the least bit troubled, and this time was no exception.

For a little while she put her arms around him, nodding at what he said, then sat back as he started taking a spoon of porridge from her bowl. She hadn’t really thought he would do it, but…

With Dritz’s hand against her back adding to her encouragement, she nodded again and opened her mouth in advance of him lifting the spoon to it.

Dritz couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped him as Vela opened her mouth in advance. There was something so silly and sweet about doing such a thing for her, and her even allowing it.

He fed her very slowly, taking only small amounts from the bowl each time. That way, or so his thinking was, she would have ample opportunity to savour the taste, he would be able to talk to her about their plans, ironing out any creases in it where she might worry about the 'what-ifs’. Of course, they both knew they couldn’t plan for everything, but Vela seemed to calm knowing that there would always be other options. He also kept his pace with the food slow so she had plenty of time to sign to him if she needed to.

As he talked, spooning food to her, he kept her close, still stroking her back lightly.

“Just let me know when you’ve had enough,” he murmured, comforting yet with a tinge of humour. “I’m pretty satisfied you’ve eaten a decent amount now, so I won’t force you.”

Even if she wouldn’t have thought so at first, Dritz feeding her this time did increase her appetite as he moved slowly while giving her small amounts, talking to her and settling her nerves further. There would be other opportunities if Trelos did not work out, but she continued to hold it in her thoughts as the place she would favor most, unable to help herself.

[Thank you,] she finally signed, now feeling actually full to a point where she didn’t want any more. [I think that’s enough. It was very good.] As Dritz set the spoon down but continued holding her close, she put her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest for a long moment, enjoying their closeness and how the situation just seemed to have brought them even closer.

[Are you full, too?] she signed with a smile, leaning back to sign to him with a much more relaxed and happy expression than before.

“Yeah, I’m fine now,” Dritz nodded, nuzzling against Vela’s soft hair. It had grown out a little, he’d noticed. Wisps had started to frame her ears more, and small curls graced her neck. It started to tickle his face when they were close to one another too.

“How long before we reach Trelos? Maybe we can play a few games or something… We must still have a good chunk of time, right?” he asked, kissing her temple.

Once she thought about it, Vela became very amused. [We have days left,] she signed with a wider smile. [Days and days. I’m sorry, I hope this doesn’t mean I’ll be worse the closer we get.]

For now, she actually felt rather good. [A game sounds like fun. One of the card games, they’re my favorite.] She leaned up to kiss Dritz in return, along his jawline. [We could play sitting on the bed. It’s softer.] She had absolutely no ulterior motives to begin with, but as she considered it, it probably would appear she did.

Dritz’s eyes widened, and he laughed in disbelief, “Well, I tell you what, as we get closer, if you feel anxious, you have to let me know. We’ll work through it together, okay?”

With a grin, he swept Vela into his arms, carrying her back through to the bunk, where he placed her gently on the bed before fetching the deck of cards from where they has found themselves in a drawer with some of their clothes. Together, they played a few games, with Vela winning the majority of them, much to Dritz’s surprise. Not only was Vela quick to pick up games, she was also quick to master them, as she had been with their juggling.

The rest of the journey saw some further worries, with even Dritz beginning to feel some of that anxiety as he worried for Vela and her expectations. He wanted to have everything go perfectly for her, but something in the back of his mind told him it would not go the way the two of them hoped.


	21. Trelos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela arrive on Trelos, where they find a leader who will speak to them.

The time had finally come when they would arrive at Trelos within the day. Vela was partially in awe of being in such a “new” area of space, but also very worried about what was to come. Dritz had been able to comfort her through her anxiety most of the time, but at the moment she was very tense and serious.

Standing in front of the mirror in the bunk room, she stared at her reflection with an intense expression before turning to Dritz, who was hovering nearby and looking a little worried, himself. [What should I wear? Just some of my regular dark clothes, to represent my people for now? I think they should get an accurate idea of what we are like.] She fidgeted slightly, glancing across at the closet and frowning at it. Maybe this wasn’t even that important of an issue.

Leaning against the door frame, Dritz was looking less than his intended act of cool, calm and collected. However, he was clearly doing his best to keep his expression neutral, shoving his hands in his pockets and forcing a grin.

“It’s a hot planet, right? I think you ought to go for practicality, really. Do you have a shorter sleeved or lighter Aurian piece to wear?” he suggested, his voice bright and level. “You wanna look like an adaptable people, so they know the Aurians won’t be… I dunno, difficult to integrate into the community. I mean, you won’t. They won’t. They. But Trelosians might think that.”

Dritz’s suggestion made sense, and Vela went over to the closet to critically look through her clothing once again. She wanted to look like she could adapt, after all. After a little debate, she pulled out a lighter piece with sleeves that weren’t as long, more of a garment used for layering than something to wear on its own. Without shyness now in front of the Chrysalan, she removed the top she had been wearing and put on the other, nodding to herself.

[That’s a good idea,] she signed, turning around. [It’s not terribly hot, but quite warm all year round. The others would get used to it quickly. I think they would love it.]

She hesitated a moment, thinking over the way Dritz looked and sounded just then. Having spent enough time with him to begin noticing little details, she thought he was trying to look unconcerned while actually being nervous as well. [Are you alright?] she asked as she approached him, waiting for his answer as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Pleased to have helped, Dritz looked her over with a visibly approving, grinning nod. His nerves were coming in little waves, and seeing her looking fairly confident made him feel the same.

Nevertheless, he gladly accepted the embrace, squeezing her in his arms for a long moment before pulling away enough to sign to her, [Worried for you.]

“I want it all to work, cuz I can see how much it means to you,” he added with a shrug, his antennae undulating gently. “I want to make you happy.”

Dritz’s signing was enough to soften Vela’s mood even further, for now. It was sometimes such a comforting action to see him do. [Thank you. It’s not up to you to make the choice… it’s the Trelosians. I know you would accept on their behalf if you could.] She tilted her head a moment, smiling. [You want to make me happy?]

Soon she had walked away again, trying not to appear too restless before turning to speak to him. [You will have to interpret what I’m saying to them. Is that alright with you? We could find an alternate way, like we used to do with the datapad. But it wouldn’t be as fast and efficient, and what if they didn’t have patience for it?] Not for a moment did she suppose that Dritz would refuse to translate, but she would have felt bad if she didn’t ask first.

[Of course,] Dritz signed with a soft smile, “I want to make you the happiest you could possibly be!” He leaned down and kissed her gently before she made her way across the room.

“Sure, I’ll be your interpreter,” he said brightly, making his way to where they were storing their clothing, “Is there anything you want me to wear? Should I represent Chrysala?” He stuck his tongue out at her teasingly, but there was an element of genuine concern to his voice, “It might actually lend us some additional representation. Knowing Chrysala might help might grease their palms a little, y'know? I’m willing to try anything.” He smiled in a determined way, “I will bring my datapad as a backup, in case I need to leave for whatever reason… Oh, don’t worry, flower, I won’t!”

With a tender glance at Dritz, Vela nodded a little shyly. It was still hard to believe someone would want her to be so happy, sometimes.

[Good, thank you. And I know you won’t leave. If you would like to represent Chrysala, then yes. What could you wear to represent your people? Do you have any… traditional clothes?] Vela was slightly puzzled about this, not having been aware of whether they had certain clothing in particular.

This raised another thought, which she couldn’t help but put into words. [What would the Chrysalans think about me? Would Aurians be very strange to them?] She didn’t want to start worrying about that now, when they hadn’t even approached the Trelosians yet, but at the same time she had a sudden urge to know Dritz’s opinion on the subject.

Leaning around Vela to find something appropriate in the locker, Dritz grinned, “There are traditional pieces, but they’re so very rarely used. Bonding ceremonies, for those who actually do them, and the overseers tend to wear them. They’re always plain and functional, the idea is that you’re built for work and servitude, contribution to the betterment of your people, y'know? Sooo…”

He pulled out his overalls; firm and well worn canvas fabric with his name stitched in Chrysalan over the left breast. It was high collared and fastened with sticky loop and hook fabric and zippers. The material down the centre of the back and under the arms was lighter, to allow the person to cool down adequately. “I figure I’ll put this on. It’s the closest thing to ‘traditional’ casual wear,” he said happily, “This is pretty cool, huh? Going as representatives of our people. My nerves are turning all *excited*!”

He stepped into his overalls, having kicked his trousers off (“What? It’ll be too hot otherwise!”), and wriggled into them, leaving his brightly coloured vest beneath. They were a bit snug around his shoulders and middle, but in a way that felt almost comfortingly familiar to him. “I think Chrysalans find most aliens a bit weird, don’t worry! Ha, aw, flower… Honestly, I can only speak for my family. They would find your language a bit strange, but not like… 'urgh that’s so freaky, how dare you’. More like 'that’s how you communicate? Whooaa, show me!’” he rambled enthusiastically. “Overall we’re pretty open to offworlders! Sure, there’s the odd Chrysalan who’s a nut and against alien races, but they’re usually shunned by the rest of us. I think they’d be fascinated by your strong survival skills, because mostly they have pretty easy, modest lives.”

Vela listened and watched in fascination, storing the information away to think more about later. It was a welcome distraction from her own nerves as she admired the overalls with an approving nod. [They look nice,] she commented, unable to keep from walking closer and touching the fabric at his waist.

[It’s good to know they would be interested, and possibly like me. I want to meet them.] She gazed up at him for a long moment before reaching to kiss him gently, a hint of longing behind the action. In any case, they had to head to the bridge of the ship to start the landing procedure soon, and Vela took Dritz’s hand as they began to walk there.

Less than half an hour later, the planet Trelos was in sight, a small green sphere on the viewscreen which somehow had the power to make Vela’s heart pound in both excitement and worry. Not long after this, they were hailed by what was apparently an incredibly vigilant sentry. The Trelosian was in a somewhat darkened room which was mostly lit by a dozen other screens, their eyes appearing large in their flattened face as they regarded Dritz and Vela with no emotion in particular.

“State your business, strangers,” he said in slightly clipped Basic, not altogether friendly but not hostile either.

[We come peacefully, from the planets Aurctas and Chrysala,] Vela signed, trying to feel confident. [We are not traders, but wish to talk with the leaders of your people. My companion and I are alone, and he will translate for me, as I have no spoken language.] She left it to Dritz to interpret, trusting he would add whatever he thought was further necessary.

Vela’s hand on his waist made the Chrysalan grin, and he placed his own over it, returning her kiss gently.

With a great mixture of excitement, nervousness and pride, Dritz watched as Vela piloted them in towards the planet, and engaged the sentry on the comm screen. He watched her signing with a great deal of concentration before repeating in Basic for the Trelosian, “My companion represents Aurctas, and has no spoken language, so I shall be translating for her. We come peacefully. We are not traders, but wish to speak with your leaders. Firstly, however, we will need to secure and pay for a landing facility, if possible.”

He offered the Trelosian a nod and a smile, reaching a hand offscreen to Vela’s own and squeezing it tightly.

The Trelosian at first appeared confused when Vela began signing, but was patient and waited for Dritz to explain. Once he had done so, they still seemed to take a moment further to process what was happening.

“Not traders? That is strange.” They took a moment to type something onto one of the nearby screens before turning back again. “We have no issues with the Chrysalans, but Aurctas is not a planet known to us. You may land, but we will need to check your ship to be certain you are carrying no dangerous cargo. Docking bay 12-9, East Side, coordinates 300.3, 589.2. Matters of payment and speaking to authority will wait until you are cleared.”

With that abrupt statement, the screen cut out. Vela kept ahold of Dritz’s hand another moment, squeezing again, then moved to enter the coordinates for landing. [I’m not sure how that went,] she finally signed a bit shakily. [I understand they need to check to be safe, but I still worry. I don’t think I can help it.] She gave him a sad little smile, knowing he would see what she meant.

Taking a moment to stop Vela from putting in the coordinates, Dritz took both of her hands and kissed her softly. “It’s alright, flower,” he whispered, “You said it yourself; they don’t often have visitors to their planet, we aren’t traders, so they’re not used to us. Be calm. You did wonderfully.”

He pulled her into a big, warm embrace, squeezing her against him for a moment, his antennae relaxing and waving lazily. “We will go down there, observe all of their protocol and be our lovely, charming selves. They will like us, and we will easily be allowed to speak to their current leader, or someone of equal standing.”

Dritz’s words and his warm, tight hug relaxed Vela again, and she smiled. She let herself lean against him a moment, drawing some extra strength until he released her to let her to enter the coordinates. [You’re right. It will be fine. Thank you.] Allowing herself to gaze at him fondly until the computer required her assistance again, she made a mental note to find a way to further thank him for all he had done for her.

The ship proceeded on its way through the atmosphere of Trelos and down to the specified docking bay, all without incident due to Vela’s near-expert piloting skill. The bay itself was dark when the Nova’s door opened, which startled her, but soon lights were seeming to come from every direction at once, and almost without warning, a half dozen Trelosians had entered the ship and begun looking around without even speaking at all.

Bewildered but somehow amused, Vela stayed close by Dritz, her arm brushing against his. “You don’t have any hidden compartments, do you?” one of the Trelosians asked abruptly, stopping by the pair as the rest continued their search. “Sorry about this. We just have to be sure you’re not bringing on anything dangerous, or even contraband. We’ve had a few problems before.”

The sudden Trelosian invasion startled Dritz, who watched them bustle past and begin their inspection. The checking of a ship was normal to him, but to come on without invitation was not. He watched them with a bemused smile before turning to the main inspector and shaking his head.

“Not to my knowledge, friend. Let me show you around, and if you have any questions, either myself or my beautiful companion will gladly answer them to the best of our ability,” he said amiably, drawing an arm around the Trelosian, but not touching, directing them to the engine, the bunk, kitchen and cockpit, showing them all the compartments and inside the engine casing where he worked, which was the only “hidden” one he could think of, all the while chatting happily.

Watching as Dritz took over the situation and showed the Trelosian around, Vela kept back, noticing several of them had directed curious or otherwise strange looks her way. She imagined they found her appearance odd, as they were already familiar with Chrysalans. No one said anything, however, and soon enough they seemed satisfied as to the safety of the Nova and anything contained therein, with all of them filing off the ship again except for the one who seemed to be charge.

“Satisfactory,” they announced, nodding at Vela and also Dritz, who had returned to stand by her side. “We’ve found nothing dangerous, no weapons or illegal cargo. It might not be my place, but I’m curious about why you’ve come. We only ever receive traders here. You have no trade goods, either. You are not… tourists, are you?”

From the way the Trelosian said the word, Vela could tell they didn’t have a high opinion of the idea. She shook her head, beginning to sign mainly in Dritz’s direction so that he could see her to translate. [I do want to view your planet, but I’ve come with an important request, something for your leaders to consider. Would we be allowed to speak to them?]

Returning to Vela, Dritz gave her a cheerful wink out of the line of sight of the Trelosians, just in case they misinterpreted it as conspiracy between the two rather than a silly attempt to keep her calm and happy.

He watched her sign, nodding before turning to the Trelosian with a friendly grin. “We do wish to see your planet, but we come on important business, a request for your leaders to hopefully consider, if we might be allowed to meet with them?” As he spoke, he signed the odd word, so that they could perhaps pick up on some of the language. Well, if the Aurians did end up on Trelos, it would be helpful!

While he made sure he did not, Dritz felt he wanted to put an arm around Vela. She didn’t need such coddling, he knew, but he liked to think of it as holding her up if she should need him to.

“We will also need somewhere to stay, if there’s anywhere available? We aren’t rich folk, but can certainly pay our way for your hospitality,” he said brightly. “We’d need to stay for a few days, a week maximum?” He glanced at Vela for confirmation.

Catching Dritz’s wink, Vela felt a smile come to her more easily. She watched the Trelosian as her words were translated, and they seemed to debate a little before answering.

“Interesting.” This Trelosian in particular seemed a bit more thoughtful than the sentry that they had originally talked to, and was eyeing them closely. “Well, there’s nothing suspicious onboard your ship, and there are only two of you, so I imagine you’ll be considered safe to stay. We have boarding for traders, which you can purchase if you wish. It’s nothing fancy, you’ll have to understand.”

Vela nodded, feeling her hopes rising. At the very least they would be allowed to stay. “If you’re not traders, I don’t recommend staying more than a week. As for talking to leaders…” He frowned a moment, seeming deep in thought. “I don’t know that any of them would be interested, except Arlin. She enjoys strangers. She’s older, a little odd sometimes. But you can’t judge her by any of that. And she’ll talk with you, if that’s what you’re looking for. Would you like to be taken to the lodgings, then have her send for you when she’s free? I imagine I could find her.”

Naturally, Vela immediately agreed to this, looking at Dritz to see if he thought it was a good idea too.

Of course, Dritz was far too excited on Vela’s behalf to even consider refusing. That was, after all, why they had come to Trelos in the first place.

“That all sounds reasonable. We’re incredibly thankful for such hospitality,” he said softly, smiling at the Trelosian. “As for our next meeting, I believe 'odd’ is not a trait I would consider a bad thing. I think we all have some oddities about us, don’t we?” He laughed, thinking about himself and Vela, and their differences that could be considered “odd”.

He could see that Vela was eager to meet with Arlin, and stepped to one side, gesturing for them to exit the ship with her taking the lead.

The Trelosian shrugged as if to tell Dritz to speak for himself on the topic of oddness, leaving the ship as Vela followed eagerly with the Chrysalan close behind.

Once they were out of the docking bay doors, they were actually outside, causing Vela to pause for a moment as she adjusted. The sky overhead was pale yellow, almost fading into green, and the rest of the landscape was such a deep shade of the latter color that she felt genuine amazement. None of the pictures she had seen had done justice to how beautiful it actually was. There were so many plants Vela longed to learn the names of, and the air was warm and welcoming, slightly moist yet in a pleasant way. Partially in a daze, she walked while also looking about so much that Dritz, who was being quite attentive to her, had to redirect her to keep following every now and then.

They were led to a long, low set of drab buildings which housed a number of rooms; there didn’t seem to be anyone in charge there in particular, and the Trelosian who had been with them the entire time handled the business of giving them a card key to a room and taking their payment of UCs for a week in advance. Then they were shown to the actual room, which was very plain and furnished with a bare minimum of necessities, but would still serve them nicely, Vela thought.

“I don’t recommend looking around until you’ve talked to Arlin,” the Trelosian suggested before they left. “She will probably vouch for you then. And I’ll come back when she’s ready to talk to you.”

Vela smiled and turned to Dritz when they were left alone again, eager to know his opinion. [What do you think so far? It’s a very nice planet. They seem a little disorganized… Maybe it’s just what we’ve seen so far, though.] It occurred to her that the Trelosian hadn’t even introduced themselves, and she was uncertain how to tell the genders apart as of yet.

While Dritz remained neutral as they made their way around the lush planet, he was deeply impressed by the verdant landscape and humid atmosphere, which reminded him of home. His expression was calm, but his antennae perked in an interested, excited way as he took in the soft smells of soil and moisture, the sight of the golden sky.

Their accommodation further cemented the fact that the planet was not particularly open to tourists, but was of course, fine for the two of them. Once they were left to their own devices, Dritz pulled a face, “Friendly bunch, huh? No wonder they don’t get many tourists. That sentry fella!” He chortled and pulled Vela to him.

“I think they’re just used to their own little community, flower. They weren’t prepared for visitors or anything like that. How are you feeling now though? Excited?”

Vela had to agree with Dritz about the general temperament of the Trelosians, but she thought he was also correct that they hadn’t been expecting to see guests and weren’t used to having many others around in general. In a way this troubled her, but she thought they could overcome it, just like the Aurians could.

[I’m excited, yes. And worried, and nervous… so many things. I wonder how long before they come back, and we can speak to the leader? I guess we should wait to bring anything here from the ship, just in case it’s soon.]

Rather than beginning to fidget restlessly as she wanted to do, she moved to sit on the bed, wondering briefly why they had not been asked whether they wanted separate rooms or even more than one bed. It felt comfortable and was roomy enough for them both, at least, and her gentle gaze invited Dritz to join her there.

[What should we talk about first? Should I ask her right away? Or maybe we should introduce ourselves fully and get to know each other for a while.] Despite her intention to relax, Vela still sat and signed tensely, the importance of this meeting weighing on her mind.

If he were to be honest, Dritz had hoped that the Trelosians might give them a time frame to work in, so that they would know when to expect them. It would have been polite, at the very least. It didn’t help that Dritz’s mind had taken him down interesting avenues to help calm Vela, take her mind off the concerns.

In a way, it was better that they didn’t have the option of a distraction. They could, as the Aurian had begun, discuss their plan for the discussion.

“I would think it’d be better to fully introduce ourselves, speak of our backgrounds in short terms, ask if they know much of the Aurians, or Aurctas. Compliment their planet and abilities to adapt; that’ll lead nicely into the Aurians and their ability to adapt. It’s a decent thread to string together, right? If they can see how adept they are, how hardworking, they will definitely be more open to the idea. I’m sure,” the Chrysalan said, flopping next to Vela and putting an arm around her, squeezing her enthusiastically.

[Of course,] Vela signed thoughtfully, leaning into Dritz and feeling herself relax somewhat. [We can’t just ask right away. We’ll make them see that both the Aurians and the Trelosians are wonderful, and would mutually benefit from living and working together.] Of course it might not be so simple, but she was finding it was better to think positively and only imagine good outcomes for now. There was no point in sabotaging the meeting by being too intense or worried.

It seemed like only a few minutes later when a knock sounded at the door, and they both got up to answer, seeing it was the same Trelosian who had left them not long ago. “Sorry,” he said, almost sounding sheepish. “Arlin wants to see you right away. I can take you to her.”

Naturally Vela thought it was a good sign of interest, and they followed the Trelosian outside and down a trail which led past the building. She found all the plants fascinating once again, but tried to focus on the task at hand foremost.

She had been expecting they would be led to another building, but where they actually found themselves was in a small clearing in the thick vegetation, with scattered benches and chairs arranged at random. Vela thought it might actually be a meeting area. But her gaze was mostly focused on the Trelosian waiting for them at the far end, seated calmly and looking over them with almost the same amount of interest.

“What are your names? We don’t often have guests. Let alone such interesting ones.” Arlin’s voice was scratchy but she spoke well, and Vela found she definitely had the appearance of an elder, seeming smaller and moving more stiffly, though in most other ways she appeared as the other Trelosians did. She was dressed in a robe of the same deep green as the plants around her, and Vela wondered if the color was a symbol of her status as a leader.

[My name is Vela, and this is Dritz. He will explain why I can’t speak aloud to you,] Vela signed after they had approached, remaining standing out of respect for now.

The return of the Trelosian from before was unexpectedly quick, with Dritz and Vela sharing a look that seemed to communicate their thoughts perfectly; such a quick response had to be a good thing, right? There must be an eagerness for new faces, surely.

Dritz was able to catch Vela’s gaze threatening to roam again as they walked, a fact that only made him want to grin. Her curiosity was endearing, and he could see her trying to fight the urge to wander off and look at the plants, especially as they were real, with soft, damp leaves, unlike the holographic gardens back on the station.

The Trelosian known as Arlin seemed calm and welcoming to Dritz, and he couldn’t resist bowing deeply in front of her, sweeping his arm around his front. “Ma'am,” he said, “Let me first introduce you to my beautiful companion, Vela of Aurctas.” He then introduced himself in his native tongue with a soft buzzing and chirping, before adding, “My name translates to Dritz. I understand you are Arlin. We’re both pleased to meet you, ma'am.”

“Now, more about my companion; Vela’s people do not have a spoken language, so I will be acting as a translator,” he said cheerily, repeating the motions a little awkwardly.

Arlin didn’t seem surprised by Vela’s signing, but she thought the Trelosian woman would have been told about them in advance. She did seem impressed by the translation and Dritz’s actions, and gave them both a slow nod.

“A very courteous Chrysalan. I thank you. The Trelosians have not seen your kin here in many years.” She paused, looking Vela up and down. “And we have never seen anyone of the planet Aurctas. Though I must mention I have heard of it.”

She paused, seeming to watch Vela’s surprised reaction. “It was also long ago. I know but a little. But it’s interesting you’ve ended up here on Trelos together, two different species from far away. A relationship, perhaps? No need to be shy, I’ve seen enough offworlders to know.” Arlin chuckled to herself, making Vela actually feel a little bashful. Were they very obvious? If so, it surely didn’t matter much.

“Aurctas and Chrysala are quite far away. I doubt the two of you are here for pleasure, at least. What is it you do in the galaxy? Business dealings in the area?”

Vela considered carefully before responding. [I have traveled from my home to explore, and because I’m looking for something.] For now she would not explain, wanting to set a little more time in between doing so. [I don’t have an occupation, really. Dritz is very skilled though, he can explain.]

“Ma'am, it is my hope that all Chrysalans are courteous,” Dritz beamed. His smile soon turned into a look of slightly sheepish surprise. Vela hadn’t chosen to confirm or deny their relationship, but he thought he might do so. It seemed rude to ignore such an astute observation.

He watched her signs, taking a step to the side to properly see what it was she was saying. Vela was very intelligently signing to Arlin and not him, after all.

“It seems a shame not to draw attention to your skilled deduction; Vela and I are indeed closer companions than we would have liked to out across in this particular instance. We’ve come with a proposal, you see. Vela-” he began signing as she had done, though more sluggishly, “-has traveled from her home world to explore, and to seek out something very important. It pains us both to have to explain, but the Aurians don’t live as the rest of the galaxy do; their lives are hard fought. We are looking for somewhere they might be able to prosper as a race, to live in harmony with others and, in time, develop the advanced technology they once pioneered. It’s our hope you might be able to provide refuge. The Aurians are incredibly hard working and reliable people who need your help, ma'am.”

As Dritz admitted to their relationship, Vela found herself with a smile. If Arlin had known in advance, there was nothing wrong with that.

She watched as he explained and (mostly) signed correctly, with a growing sense of anxiousness. Arlin’s expression hadn’t changed, but she was considering them both very carefully, from what Vela could see.

“Sit down,” she offered, surprising the Aurian. She took a seat along with Dritz on one of the benches nearby. “I have long thought our community was becoming stale, with no sense of growth other than the plants around us.” She tilted her head, almost seeming reflective. “Bringing in a new people, a new sense of purpose to continue to better our world… I had thought that was one of the ideal solutions.”

Vela felt her hope rising, but pressed it back as she saw Arlin had more to say. “But… Well. Do you want to hear the rest?” Her tone was somber, but Vela nodded hesitantly, worried, looking to see if Dritz agreed or not.

There was something about Arlin’s tone that meant Dritz could not relax right away. Nevertheless, he sat with Vela, resisting the urge to take her hand. Arlin seemed sweet and reasonable, but overt displays of his affection might cause them to look weak or unserious. Instead he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, watching the old Trelosian attentively.

“I imagine there are conditions that would need to be met if you were to agree,” he said carefully, if somewhat sadly. “We were prepared for whatever you might need to tell us. Please go on, ma'am.”

Vela remained very still, hardly daring to move, or even breathe. Dritz seemed interested as he listened beside her, but she felt as though she needed to hear this on her own, in a way, without touching him for now. She knew she was strong enough to handle it.

“Well,” Arlin repeated, almost sounding sad. “The fact of the matter is my people are very set in their ways. I don’t even need to ask the other current leaders. They would say no, that I’m a fool for showing interest. They know we are stagnant in growth or even the interest in growing. Currently… they do not care.”

Her smile was definitely sad then, but she continued to face them with a clear gaze. “I would like to see Trelos begin to flourish with the help of another species before I die. But now is not the time. There will need to be endless meetings and persuasion… if it can be done at all. I know only a little about the two of you,” she added with a small laugh. “So you can see I’m desperate enough to immediately take to this idea.”

[We would not lead you astray,] Vela signed earnestly. [My own people will not survive beyond another few hundred years, from what I have calculated.] She hadn’t told this to Dritz yet, but now was as good a time as any for him to know. [The Aurians may turn out to be the same as the Trelosians, they may not want to change. But I have to speak to them and try. Maybe knowing a planet might be willing to take them… or even a chance… I want to try if you’re willing to do the same.]

She turned to Dritz to translate, finally reaching to touch his leg gently before he did so. There would be more he would have to say, she felt certain.

“Ma'am, you are so kind to have considered us so readily,” Dritz said. It was clear he was keeping the upset from his voice, but his tone had certainly changed. He had worried about the work they would all need to put in to make the movement of an entire species viable, but… he hadn’t even considered that they wouldn’t be accepted.

“As my companion has said, we would not lead you astray. We want what is best for both the Trelosians and the Aurians,” he began, before his expression fell at the news of the Aurians. “I… Vela has estimated that her people will only live for another few hundred years at most.” He cleared his throat, refocusing on the matter at hand, “Vela suggests that the Aurians are as set in their ways as you say the Trelosians are, and believes both parties could be persuaded with work from all of us. I would like to help as well. It’s my intention to speak with the overseers of Chrysala to lend their aid in the process. Perhaps we could work with the Trelosians and the Aurians to help them integrate peacefully and prosperously. Chrysala could offer further persuasion for your people?”

“Chrysala would help?” Arlin asked in surprise. Seeing the looks on their faces after this question, she chuckled. “So you have not asked them yet. I see. But of course you will, if this is as important to you as I think.”

[It’s very important, and we’ll do anything,] Vela signed, looking to Dritz for confirmation. [I would like to visit Chrysala as soon as possible, with Dritz’s agreement.] She was trying to keep her heart from feeling so heavy, but knowing the amount of work they would have to put in, and the time they would use in doing it, without even the surety of the fact it would all come together the way they wanted… [Thank you for speaking with us. We can plan this further now?]

Arlin waved a hand gently, shaking her head once Dritz had translated. “We can discuss further later. The hour is growing late, and I tire easily these days. The need for urgency is there, but we must take care of ourselves first, yes? We do have time. Don’t fret too much. And you will stay a few days at least? Good. We can speak more, and perhaps you can have a look around the planet, talk to some of my people. Come now, I will take you somewhere you can get something to eat, and then you should go to bed for whatever sleep your kind might need.”

Her attitude was so familiar as an elder that Vela did feel a little comfort, for now. The sky had darkened into a warm golden color without her noticing, and the plants around them rustled in the dim light as if also telling them it was time to rest. Arlin led them, but she walked slowly, so Vela stayed behind with Dritz, hesitantly placing her hand in his. She would have to wait to ask, but hoped she had not worried him too much with revealing her calculations about the Aurians.

While everyone’s tone did take a turn towards the melancholy, Dritz could sense the hope from all of them, not just himself and Vela. He enthusiastically agreed with Vela that he would like to venture to Chrysala to begin the negotiations as soon as they were able. He was already planning what he would need to say and do. He didn’t want his flower disappointed again.

As they walked, Dritz looked at the scenery around them, stroking his fingers over Vela’s palm. While he was aware of the plants and trees around them, he found he was not taking it in properly, a small frown on his face.

“Ma'am,” he said softly to Arlin ahead of them, “I hope this is not too forward, but I think your personal hospitality is a credit to the Trelosians. Even if this is not the currently preferred outcome, the fact that you’ve made the time to see us is remarkable enough. We thank you for everything thus far.”

Vela was attempting to keep her hopes high, but found this was fairly difficult, for now. Maybe when the information had time to settle in her mind, and she could spend some time alone with Dritz, she would feel better.

It was hard to tell what her partner might be thinking. He seemed distracted, but she felt certain he was not upset with her. She listened to him speaking to Arlin and watched as the elderly Trelosian turned back toward them with a smile.

“Why would that be forward? I appreciate you saying so. Bear in mind that I hold the interests of my people closest to heart. Of course if you have a proposal to better them, I am going to want to listen. Maybe it would make you think less of me to know I may not have spent any time with you otherwise.” Vela had the sense that Arlin might be teasing them, but she wasn’t sure until she remembered what the inspector had said about her being odd and very interested in talking to offworlders. Surely she would have spent time with them regardless.

They were shown to a small building which Arlin told them was the only place for traders to get food once they arrived, so Vela assumed it was like a sort of restaurant. It did look like one, with a main counter and plenty of chairs and tables, a delicious aroma in the air. Arlin made sure they knew what the food was and that those attending the shop would treat them appropriately before she took her leave, saying she would send for them again tomorrow morning.

Vela waited until they both had their food and were seated at a table before attempting to speak to Dritz. There was another couple in the shop, but she did not know their species, and they were having such an animated discussion that she knew they wouldn’t overhear.

[She was very kind,] she signed, speaking of Arlin. [It was more than I probably should have hoped for. This food is good, isn’t it?] This had all been very awkward, but Vela knew she couldn’t speak more seriously until later. She had already tasted a little of the food, which was an abundance of green, leafy plants and colorful vegetables with additional subtle spices. It was good, but she knew she would be forcing it down again in her current mood.

Dritz smiled at Arlin’s response, sheepish and weak, but relieved. He didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t expected such kindness. It made him seem cynical or prejudiced, but this wasn’t the case.

The elderly Trelosian left them in a dining hall in what seemed to be the Trelosian style; minimal and functional, where they were served one of the most delicious alien dishes Dritz had eaten in a while. Despite everything that had happened, he found he was eating fairly greedily, almost distracted and using the food as something to do, rather than something to enjoy.

[Hey, flower,] he signed, looking at her intensely, putting his fork down, [It is going to be fine.] “She was kind, and I still believe we can accommodate the Aurians here. It will take work, but don’t dismiss all your hopes just yet. Please.” He cupped her face and smiled determinedly, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. After a moment of warm gazing into her eyes, his usual bright grinning returned and he added, “The food is delicious!”

Vela was heartened that Dritz could eat so well, finding it also improved her own appetite. When he stopped to sign and talk to her, she also set her fork down to smile at him softly. [I will try. Maybe we can make it easier by meeting with more of the Trelosians over the next few days. Thank you. And thank you for being here with me.]

She felt herself melting a little at his touch and the warmth he held in his eyes. She nodded in agreement over his enthusiastic approval of the food, now beginning to eat just a little faster. She found she was longing to be alone with him more than anything at that moment.

Once they had returned their bowls to the kitchen, they set off in the direction of the lodgings, which were within sight of the dining hall. With the door closed behind them, Vela turned to face Dritz with a worried expression.

[About my people… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was involved in a survey of the remaining Ve on Aurctas, and… the conclusion was another few hundred year’s worth of mining. Once they run out, they have no means of trading for survival. And without a fleet of working ships, and lack of studying the old technology… It will be the end.]

She sighed, a soft breath of sadness, but also longing as she moved closer to Dritz, putting her arms up around his neck and pressing her body against his, needing to know he was there with her now.

Dritz had been anticipating further discussion of what Vela had revealed once they returned to the room. While he’d been blindsided to learn such a thing, he also could not blame her for not wanting to tell him such bleak news. It added pressure to their current situation, and Vela would not have wanted to concern him too early, he was sure.

With her arms around his shoulders and their bodies pressed together, Dritz leaned down and kissed her passionately for a moment, before pulling away to speak to her, “How could you have brought such a thing up in conversation? I understand if you didn’t want to, no matter what the reason is. It’s sad, but it just means that we will have to work twice as hard to stop that happening,” he said firmly, squeezing her against him for a long moment, running his hands up and down her slender back.

With her face resting against his neck, Vela nodded so that he was able to feel it, not having any more she could add to this particular discussion for now. He was right, and to know he didn’t blame her for withholding the information lightened her heart somewhat. They would do their best, she knew. They were in this together.

She kissed Dritz’s neck softly before moving her head to kiss his lips again. The feel of his hands running along her back was soothing, but at the same time she wanted more contact, to be able to feel more of him. She looked into his eyes to note he was probably feeling the same way.

Taking a step back, she tugged ineffectively at the overalls he was wearing, not really sure how they unfastened as she had not studied them closely yet. She wore an apologetic little smile as he began to catch on to what she wanted.

Dritz had anticipated a little more discussion on the subject, but it soon became clear that they were done with it for the day. He had been aware, in the back of his mind, of Vela’s lithe body against his own, and her warm breath at his neck only served to increase his desire to have contact with her, their bare skin against one another’s.

He took ahold of her hands, guiding her fingers to where the fastenings of his overalls were, showing her how easily they were slipped off, a flirtatious smirk on his lips. “I’m guessing that’s what you wanted to know, huh?” he chuckled, shrugging the overalls off his shoulders and tugging his vest off before scooping her into his arms and moving them over to the bed.

Nodding, Vela’s smile held a touch of shyness at the same time as she was eagerly allowing Dritz to show her how to remove the overalls. She sighed in satisfaction once he was only wearing underwear and lifting her into bed with ease.

Of course, her being clothed wouldn’t do. It surprised her how much she loved removing her clothing now, when it was once an act to be avoided. Without making Dritz wait too long, she wriggled out of her leggings and pulled her tunic over her head, naked underneath, as he laid back and watched her with half-lidded eyes and a lazy smile. She crawled over him, enjoying how his gaze roamed over her, and laid down carefully with a little shiver of delight to feel his body against hers, kissing him with passion.

It couldn’t be the wrong time for this, not when it felt as right as it did.

Waiting patiently, Dritz watched Vela eagerly removing her own clothes with a small smirk. He would have liked to help her with that, but her readiness to do so was pleasing to him, and he couldn’t take that from her, especially when the sight was so lovely.

He pulled her atop him almost immediately, returning her kiss with vigour. To look at her, one might assume her pale skin would be cold to the touch, and it was in comparison to Dritz, but she was surprisingly warm under his hands, and becoming more so. He ran his fingers through her fluffy hair, tangling the few longer strands between them as he smiled against her lips. Soon, his fingers were trailing down the curve of her spine, resting on her hips, and his lips and tongue were against her throat.

Each of Dritz’s actions brought Vela a fresh shiver of delight, one so different from what she might feel when she was cold. But everything about Dritz was warm, and her own passion warmed her further.

With his fingers sliding down to her hips, and his mouth pressed urgently against her neck, she already felt unable to hold back from giving in to her desire. She brought her own hands up to either side of his face, giving him another deep and passionate kiss as the rest of her body began to move.


	22. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Trelos visit concludes with a glimmer of hope.

At some point they had fallen asleep together; Vela was not sure what the time had been. She awoke fully rested as normal, but knew Dritz would sleep for hours more.

Before finding the datapad to keep herself occupied, however, she spent nearly an hour just resting with her head on Dritz’s soft stomach, thinking over the events of the previous day once more. She could hear his snoring, but by now she usually didn’t notice it and obviously wasn’t bothered by it. Sometimes it even settled her nerves to listen to it.

When the morning light began to show through the room’s one small window, she nestled herself close to him again to try to awaken him, nuzzling her face against his neck and giving him several soft, light kisses. She was actually quite eager to begin their day of meeting other Trelosians, though if Dritz was very tired she would be willing to wait.

Dritz could feel Vela’s lithe, cool body against his side, and he was awake, but for whatever reason his voice wouldn’t come to him, and when he tried to speak to her he only managed a light grunt. He rolled onto his side, very nearly rolling on top of her, had she not slipped out of the way.

“Mm,” he mumbled again, pulling her into a big embrace, burrowing his face against her neck. “Is it time to get up?” He kissed her cheek and shoulder as he struggled to cling to wakefulness.

After around half an hour of cuddling, gentle encouraging nudges towards getting up, and checking they had both slept well, Dritz finally got up, donning his overalls once more, even though he was certain the most important meeting of theirs had already been. It would not hurt to keep up appearances. Adjusting the collar, he smiled at Vela, “So, we’ll speak to some locals today? See if we can make some friends?”

It took a little time and a lot of cuddling, but Vela managed to rouse Dritz enough to finally get him up and dressed. She did the same, also wearing the same clothing as yesterday, which was something she was accustomed to doing in any case, and it hadn’t gotten dirty in any way. Once again she admired his appearance in the overalls, helping him straighten the collar and smiling back. [Yes. I hope we find someone willing to talk to us, and that Arlin contacts us soon.]

In the end it did not take long at all; after they had returned to the dining hall for another delicious meal and were exiting the building, the inspector from the other day approached them in a bustling manner. “There you are. Arlin wants to see you again. You must have made a good impression, but then, she does enjoy talking to new folks. She’s in the same place as before, if you remember.”

Vela thanked him with the help of Dritz’s interpretation, and they returned to the small area where they had last seen Arlin, who was sitting in the exact spot as she had been yesterday, watching them approach with an interested expression.

“You slept well? Good. It’s good to see you this morning. I have thought over our situation in more detail since last night. I can’t tell you anything new, but I do think it’s best you speak to a variety of individuals to make yourselves known, at least in a general sense. It’s alright to mention to them what your intentions are, but don’t press too hard. Join me again this evening and tell me how it went, if you would be so kind.”

She gave them general directions to some places they might visit, saying they would only need to mention her name if questioned by anyone. When they parted ways again, Vela found she was a little nervous.

[Do you really think anyone will be interested?] she signed to Dritz with a small frown, stopping their walk back into a more populated area. Apparently there was a sort of village nearby with transportation into a major settlement, and all of the appropriate maps were drawn up on his datapad.

Even considering how welcoming Arlin had been, it still surprised Dritz that the little Trelosian had wanted to see them again so soon. Someone must have alerted her to them being awake and roaming around once again.

The idea that they would need to speak to as many new folk as possible made sense. It would hardly be fair for such a close-knit community to have their future decided by one of them, and two off-worlders. Even large governing bodies like the overseers of Chrysala considered their people. On his home planet, the district overseers were very public figures, easily accessible at regular district open forums. It was reassuring to be dealing with something even remotely similar.

After agreeing to speak to as many of the Trelosians as they could manage, Dritz and Vela left Arlin’s meeting place, stopping shortly in a lush, quiet area. He gave her a reassuring smile of his own, touching her shoulder, “I refuse to believe they would all be ignorant of another race’s stability. We might encounter some indifference or mild hostility, but we expected some unhelpfulness from them, didn’t we? There’ll be some to listen, flower, I have faith. We’ll be our charming selves!”

He gave her a wide grin and kissed her cheek before gesturing to continue.

Briefly Vela wondered where her sudden nervousness had come from, but thought it surely must be the situation in general being so foreign to her, along with her worry of nothing working out the way she would like. The confidence Dritz was able to show her was a reminder that they would be fine, and they were in this together. Without him, she knew this would have been difficult to near impossible. Of course, she might have met someone else, but the thought of it not being Dritz was something she didn’t want to contemplate.

There was a little time before the transport would arrive, so they wandered about the village as they waited. The small houses were spaced far apart, with plenty of farm land between, but were still within sight of each other. They seemed to favor practicality over anything else, with next to no decoration. There was still a warm feeling to it, which Vela couldn’t sufficiently describe.

Many of the Trelosians, working on their land or smaller gardens, gave them odd looks without approaching. Vela had decided the first they would talk to would be one who showed an interest in them. It wasn’t long until one did approach, and she attempted a smile even though they looked a bit suspicious.

“Traders? It’s too early in the season. We won’t have anything for you.” The Trelosian squinted at them before looking them up and down with sudden interest. “I’ve never seen anyone like you here before.”

[I’m sorry, we’re not traders,] Vela signed, watching as the Trelosian’s eyes widened in confusion. [My name is Vela, of Aurctas, and this is Dritz, of Chrysala. We’ve traveled here to learn more about Trelos and its people, and we’ve already been in discussion with one of your leaders, Arlin. Would you mind if we asked you some questions? Unless you are too busy, of course. We don’t want to bother you.] Dritz was already starting to translate, as well as mentioning the significance of her hand movements, and Vela felt herself tense in anticipation in case this Trelosian refused to interact with them.

With the planet’s climate being so similar in temperature and humidity to Chrysala, Dritz found himself quietly contemplating how his home world used to be, with much more plant life growing freely, before the buildings and industry took over and they had to take pains to avoid wiping out their plants altogether. It was nice to see it all growing so freely, almost encouraged to break from any confines other than the farmland.

Of course, it could never be long before they were spotted and approached. They had both been expecting it; on a planet that only saw traders some of the time, it would be incredibly weird for two such as themselves to be seen just roaming.

He smiled warmly at the Trelosian, making short work of explaining, with signing of his own as well, who they were, and what it was they were doing there. “May I ask your name, friend? I always like to know who I’m speaking to,” he added in a friendly tone.

“Jern,” the Trelosian replied briefly, still apparently trying to figure out the two of them and what exactly they were saying. “My name is Jern. Ah… nice to meet you.” He squinted again, before finally shrugging. “That’s interesting. Not sure why anyone would want to come here unless it was to trade. We live a simple life farming on Trelos, and I feel like that’s all there is to know.”

[You may think it’s simple, but it’s also admirable. Trelos is a wonderful planet. What is it that you do here?] Vela gestured around to what she assumed was Jern’s farm, and the village as a whole, waiting for Dritz to translate.

“Well, this is one of the smaller communities of farmers. Most of us are farmers, you know. But here we grow more specialty crops, while large communities produce most of our trade goods on their farms. I prefer life here, a little slower than on a large farm.” Jern seemed enthusiastic enough to talk about it, but he also looked tired, with a continued wariness of them. Vela smiled again, trying to put him at ease.

[I see. Thank you. I’m glad you enjoy life here. My own people are actually in search of a new home to share with another species, and Trelos is one we’d like to consider.] It was better to talk as though the Aurians were already in favor of the idea, for now. [We discussed it with Arlin, and know there will need to be many talks among the leaders and people of Trelos before a decision is made. What do you think of the general idea?]

“I don’t know.” Jern sounded even more wary now, his focus shifting to Dritz as the one who could actually talk and answer him. “Why here? Are these Aurians desperate?”

Stepping away from his role as translator (which, admittedly, he was enjoying greatly; it made him feel important), Dritz shook his head.

“Desperation would not paint Trelos in a favourable light, would it, Jern?” he said cheerfully. “I prefer to think of it as a smart choice on the part of the Aurians. They’re a hardworking people and would want nothing more than to contribute to, and build a society with those who accept them. Trelos is a thriving planet with the potential to accommodate and provide jobs for them to make their own lives easier. Auctas is a harsh planet that is no longer providing for them, and mere survival is not life, is it? Even on Chrysala we recognise the importance of a balance between work and down time. And we love work!” He chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets. He wanted to keep his tone light despite the severity of the situation being made clear in his explanation.

“It seems to me that the Aurians making a home for themselves with your people would be mutually beneficial. More trade, a larger work force, more activity and community… Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

It seemed Jern was at least mulling over what Dritz was saying, his head tilted though still frowning. Vela was once again glad for the Chrysalan’s presence and grasp of the situation, added to his ability to speak aloud and put her thoughts directly into words without her having to sign first. He understood how she felt so well that he was even saying things she might have said herself.

“I guess I understand,” the Trelosian said slowly, not sounding convinced. “So the Aurians are facing what amounts to the death of their world… We were in the same place, once. Of course that wasn’t even near my lifetime. But even if that’s true… It doesn’t mean the Aurians are well-suited to Trelos, or living in our communities. Plus they…” He hesistated, glancing at Vela, then apparently deciding to speak his mind. “They can’t even talk aloud. We don’t know that sign language.”

[We could teach you,] Vela signed, trying not to feel discouraged. [And we could also learn to speak aloud. It’s possible, given time.] She didn’t want to demonstrate, thinking her few poor attempts at words would not make a very good impression.

“I just don’t know,” Jern told them after Dritz had translated again. “I need to think about whether I would like it or not. Maybe discuss it with others in this village? You have our leaders to get through, first. But I can see what everyone else thinks. I just can’t promise anything. I think our lives are fine as they are, and I’m not sure we need anything else.”

It wasn’t too much longer before they said their farewells and left the Trelosian behind, as Vela and Dritz needed to head for the transport. She didn’t try speaking to him as they walked, turning her head slightly to one side and pretending to study more of the foliage.

Jern had said the Aurians might not be needed. If he was a typical Trelosian, then…

[It is quite easy to learn,] Dritz signed back eagerly as he said it aloud at the same time. “Don’t let a language barrier be the reason your worlds can’t integrate! I am not naturally gifted with languages, but I have managed to learn quite a lot of Aurian in a few months. Enough to be translating for my companion, even!”

Dritz did his best not to look disheartened as he listened to Jern, nodding sagely. He did appreciate what the Trelosian was saying, but individuals that were so stuck in their ways upset and frustrated him. He was lucky enough to have seen so much embracing of change on Chrysala, and he believed it had bettered all of them. Of course, there were those resistant to change wherever he went, but those who rejected it ended up left behind…

It wouldn’t do to say something to severe, though.

Instead, he waited until they were alone and threw his arm around Vela, pulling her close to him, “That’s only one Trelosian. There’s loads of them; we just need a couple on our side, and a couple will become many.” He looked over at her and smiled before kissing her cheek.

Dritz was right: it was only one Trelosian. Jern would talk to others, who might have different views and be able to persuade him far easier than Dritz and herself. She finally gave the Chrysalan as confident of a smile as she could manage as she slipped her own arm around him in return. They walked together comfortably as they made their way to the transport station, still drawing stares, but Vela ignored them for the moment.

She hadn’t known exactly what to expect in regard to the transport, as very little was actually documented about Trelosian technology. The sight of the long machine, made of a light-colored metal which shone in the sunlight, certainly made her pause. It was roughly cylindrical in shape with a flattened tail and no wheels that she could see, likely meaning it flew above the ground.

There was no one else at the station, and the transport operator was looking at a datapad and not even paying attention to their approach. They began saying something in Trelosian without glancing up, then gave a start when they looked to see why there was no response.

“Oh… traders. Strange. Off-season?” It took a few minutes of explaining, but the Trelosian finally accepted they were there on other business and under the authority of Arlin. “City hub, I’m assuming?”

Dritz and Vela agreed, entering the transport through a narrow door on one side. The operator sat very near the front while they sat on one of the rows of seats toward the middle of the vehicle. Vela was glad they were alone, especially when the transport jolted abruptly.

“Hold on,” the operator called back as a sort of afterthought, alarming her further. There were no safety devices to hold them in the seats. As the transport left the ground, it took off at surprising speed.

Dritz was sitting by the window, and Vela threw her arms around him for stability against the motion of the vehicle, squeezing her good eye shut for the moment. Flying on the Nova was one thing, but this was very strange for her.

The Trelosian transport vessel was strange to Dritz, with the open carriage compartments and the conductor’s controls out in the open. Of course the public transport would be different to the shuttles on Chrysala, but he couldn’t help but note how different. Back home, the shuttles would hold a maximum of thirty people during the busiest hours, and ran regularly from district to district, but nothing ran within the district limits, and one would have to find another way from place to place; on foot. He couldn’t help but sit by the window and watch the greenery whoosh by in dark streaks. Until he felt Vela squash against him, and when he looked she had her eyes closed.

“Everything okay, flower?” he asked, sounding somewhat panicked as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly and stroking her hair. His voice lowered to a soft and gentle buzz and he stroked her cheekbone, “Hey, if you slowly and carefully look up and out of the window, we have a pretty view at the moment. But you gotta look at the horizon, nothing close, okay? It’s going by really fast, but the horizon looks slower.”

The transport was simply going too fast. That had to be all it was. If it was slower, Vela felt sure she wouldn’t be having this problem.

Dritz was nothing but caring and comforting toward her, as he always was during any situation she seemed distraught. After a little while with his arms around her, she nodded and managed to slowly lift her head toward the window.

Her left eye opening just a crack, she looked out toward the horizon as best she could. The Trelosian sky was its lovely shade of pale yellow, with many green plants just underneath it going by in such a blur that it almost looked solid. It was pretty, but she made the mistake of shifting her eye a little closer and immediately became very dizzy.

[It’s nice,] she signed shakily, [but I don’t think I should look. The speed is upsetting my mechanical eye and making me dizzy. Transports aren’t… like this on every planet, are they? Like yours?] Another wave of dizziness washed over her, and she gave up keeping her eye open to cling tightly onto Dritz again instead.

“No, no, flower, the transports I’ve experienced have all been much slower than this,” Dritz cooed, stroking her hair. Truthfully, even he was startled by the speed of the shuttle.

Holding her head gently against his chest, her kept her steady to avoid her becoming dizzier.

“On Chrysala, there’s transport between districts, and the biggest cities, but mostly we walk in built up areas,” he told her, hoping his chatter might help her focus on something else, “Some folks have bikes to get around, and there are small roads in bigger towns, but as the buildings got denser, and more and more places built up, we decided it was better to have as little traffic as possible. And there are moving walkways in some places that are known to house older citizens. Those moving walkways also lead to the farmlands, like a big moving bridge. I’m actually looking forward to having you come to Chrysala one day!” He rambled about his home planet, leaving no detail unexplained, until they arrived.

Relieved when Dritz reassured her that Chrysalan transports were slower, Vela kept her eyes shut, grateful for the way he held her head so gently and close. She listened with fascination, able to forget about her dizziness for the most part until the vehicle had finally slowed to a stop.

[I want to go there,] she signed after she felt capable of letting go, giving Dritz a weak smile. [It sounds wonderful to see, and so different from Aurctas.] She had to wonder whether the reason she wanted to see it so badly was that very difference itself, or the fact that she wanted to know as much as possible about Dritz and his life.

They made their way off the transport to find themselves in what the Trelosians were calling a “city,” though Vela wondered if it was anything like what Dritz had experience with. A lot of the buildings were the same as in the village, but there seemed to be more of them, spaced more closely together and bordered by dirt paths. They had fully intended to wander the area and see who there was to talk to with the use of a map on the datapad, but they had barely gotten out of sight of the transport station before a Trelosian approached them.

This one was dressed in the same style of clothing than Jern had been, though in slightly brighter colors. This led Vela to either believe it was a class difference or perhaps a gender difference. They were quite calm and matter of fact, dividing their gaze evenly between the two. “You are welcome, traders, though you are early. Perhaps you wish to see the volume our storehouses can contain? There are many who feel our population can’t possible produce enough for decent trade, so to wish to see that in advance is not offensive. The main farmland surrounds the city in a wide ring; it’s possible to see how large it is when flying overhead. My name is Terin, and I can assist you in any other way you might require.”

This entire dialogue had seemed well-practiced and familiar to Terin, who must surely be in charge of seeing to the interests of visiting traders. Vela hesitated a moment, glancing at Dritz before shaking her head. [I’m sorry, but we aren’t traders. We’re here to learn more about you and your planet, however. I am Vela and this is Dritz, from Aurctas and Chrysala. We do have another mission of incredible importance which we have already discussed with one of your leaders, Arlin.] She allowed Dritz to take over, noting the way Terin was eyeing her motions closely.

Thankfully, with the speed of the transport, it did not take long for them to arrive, though Dritz would have been perfectly contented to stay there and keep Vela calm and close. He enjoyed her resting against his chest.

When they finally made it, however, he found himself slightly confused. The city seemed to be little more than a cramped version of the village, but then, he supposed that was exactly what a city was.

Terin, or so they introduced themselves, seemed very businesslike in their mannerisms, and had they actually been on trade business, Dritz would have immediately taken to them and been impressed. As it happened, he was more concerned for their unusual request.

“Greetings, Terin. And what a lovely greeting it was! Sadly, however, we are not traders. Allow me to introduce my companion, Vela of Aurctas. The Aurian language is not spoken, as you can see, so I am here to act as a translator. I’m Dritz, and my heritage is probably obvious to you if you’re aware of Chrysala. We are here with the hopes of learning more about yourselves and your beautiful planet. Is there anywhere you might suggest we start?”

“You’re not traders.” Terin sounded more surprised and confused than anything else, putting Vela on her guard. It was as though the Trelosian didn’t understand how they could be anything else. “I’m not sure why you would want to learn anything, you could look up the information on your own…”

Terin was already backing away from them as Vela watched sadly. “I don’t think I can help you. There are others, surely….”

[I’m sorry,] Vela signed as Dritz immediately began to translate for her. [We will look for help elsewhere, but thank you for your time.] They allowed Terin to melt back into the city, and Vela felt the first traces of frustration coming over her. The Trelosian had been helpful enough, but couldn’t come to terms with them beyond what their roles might be. She didn’t say anything to Dritz but began to march on through the city, unaware that he was beginning to look a little worried too.

Several other Trelosians showed minimal interest in them, but ultimately didn’t show any particular inclination to help. Vela was beginning to wonder if they were wasting their time in this city, when they spotted a much smaller Trelosian wandering across one of the dirt roads. She didn’t know much about children, as her area of Aurctas didn’t have any after she had grown up.

At first she thought she would pass by, but the child Trelosian was actually quick to approach them once noticed. “What are you?” they asked in innocent awe, as well as perfect Basic. Flustered, Vela turned to Dritz without trying to explain herself.

Once Terin had made up their mind to leave, it was obvious that Vela was beginning to fret more. Truthfully, so was Dritz. The Trelosian had almost seemed frightened of them. It seemed bizarre to be scared of the two of them, but he supposed it was more that they did not know, or could not understand, their business or reasons for being on the planet.

It was some time before they found another willing to even listen, and even then they could not help them in any way. Then a small child approached, and Dritz beamed, clapping his hands together and crouching in front of the young Trelosian.

“Hi there! My name’s Dritz, and this is Vela. We’re very pleased to meet you,” he said brightly, “Who are you?”

“Pleased to meet you,” the small Trelosian repeated faintly, though Vela wasn’t sure if it was because they remembered some form of manners, or were just repeating Dritz’s words. “Your names sound funny. Mine is Marin.”

Marin wasn’t showing any fear of them, but Vela remained unsure that talking to a child was going to help further their cause. At the same time, Dritz seemed engaged and enjoying himself, and she supposed there was no real harm. And who was to say whether it would truly help or not?

[Hello. Dritz is correct, we are pleased to meet you. Your name is nice,] she signed awkwardly, unsure of what to say in any case.

“Did she talk to me?” Marin asked Dritz after watching Vela closely. “She’s pretty, but strange too. And you are very strange,” She reached up as though to touch Dritz’s antennae, then seemed to realize she shouldn’t. “Why don’t you look like me?”

Dritz laughed and nodded, “I guess they are a bit funny! I think Marin is a pretty name, though.” He crouched down to face her properly, as he did with his many younger siblings.

“She did talk to you, yeah! My friend here is from Aurctas, which is super, super far away. And I’m from Chrysala. I bet a clever kid like you knows where that is though! Anyway, my friend doesn’t have a spoken language like we do, so she speaks with her hands. Isn’t that cool?” He showed her a gesture, “This is how you say ‘hello’. Vela said she’s pleased to meet you, and that she likes your name too.”

He glanced up at Vela with a beam. Having a lot of young siblings meant that he loved interacting with children.

“Well, we don’t look alike because we’re from so many different places,” he explained, “You’re definitely clever to observe such a thing so astutely. Did you want to touch my antennae? You held your hand up. If you want to, you can, but you gotta be gentle, since they are important for a Chrysalan.” He chuckled, his antennae waving in a relaxed manner.

Watching Dritz with Marin had a relaxing quality to it. This softened Vela to the point where she simply stood and listened without offering any further input for the moment.

“Aurctas,” Marin repeated, sounding a little confused about it. “Chrysala. I remember that one. But I didn’t know what you look like. Funny.” She repeated the gesture for “hello” almost absently, though she did get it right.

“Can I?” Most of her childlike attention seemed held by Dritz’s antennae, and Vela watched with a smile as she reached up and gingerly touched one, then the other, mouth open in curiosity. “They move,” she whispered. “Can you see in the dark with them?”

Marin didn’t understand the amused reaction this received, but it didn’t take long for her to move on to another topic. “Why are you here? Does she want to live here?” The young Trelosian was looking at Vela now, and she had the sense that this might be more of an important conversation than she had originally realized.

Dritz couldn’t help the burst of laughter as Marin asked if he could see in the dark with his antennae. He shook his head, “No, but that is a good question! Maybe a long time ago when we were still biiig bugs, huh? These days they don’t have that much function.” He plopped down on the floor to look at Marin with a slightly more serious expression.

“Well, that’s another very good question. Aurctas is very far away, and it isn’t a very kind planet. Trelos has pretty plants and a nice, warm temperature, right? Well Aurctas is very, very cold, and doesn’t have much plants, so the Aurians, who live there, don’t have much to eat or the means to build much. They have real hard lives. That’s sad, right?” he explained, slowly and kindly. “So we’re looking for somewhere that the Aurians might be able to go to have a nicer life. They want to work hard and be warm and welcomed. But we need help from the Trelosians, like you.”

“Cold?” Marin repeated. “I don’t know what that is, but if it’s not nice… the Aurians should come live here. We have lots of room. My father told me half of Trelos is just plants with no one living there. And my mother said once that she thinks it’s kind of boring here sometimes… But don’t tell anyone. That was a secret.”

The young Trelosian had seemed to naturally shift herself toward Dritz when he sat down, and was soon leaning against his leg and looking up at him in earnest. “It’s nice here. There’s more than enough for everyone. Do the Aurians… do they have children? Someone I could play with too?”

Vela had been unable to stop smiling during this entire exchange, though her expression softened further as Marin expressed her childlike desire for the Aurians to live on Trelos. [I wish it would be that easy,] she added so that Dritz could see. [There are Aurian children, but probably not as many as the Trelosians have. You would have to teach them how to play. I’m not sure they know how.] Undeniably, a thin mist had come across Vela’s normal eye as she spoke. If only it really could be that simple.

Dritz made a motion over his mouth to indicate that he would not ever tell such a deep secret before smiling. Marin had been the most accommodating of the Trelosians so far, it was just such a shame that she held no real power to allow them to integrate the Aurians there.

What came next proved difficult. Dritz’s smile turned sad as he explained what Vela had said. “Remember how I said that the Aurians have a really hard life? Well, Vela says that the kids might not know how to play any games, so you’d need to help them. There also isn’t many of them,” he said softly, reaching up to touch Vela’s hand gently. “It makes my friend sad, because she wants them to play. Would you be able to teach them, huh? If the Aurians came here? You’d look after the other kids and show them how to play lots of games, wouldn’t you? I bet you know so many fun ones.”

A small piece of the Chrysalan’s heart felt as though it was breaking. He knew, or he ought to, that the Aurian lives were so different as to have bizarrely mature children, but the thought was not one he liked entertaining.

Even Marin was starting to look sad now as Dritz explained to her about the young Aurians. Yet it seemed she had a strong spirit, for she was soon leaning over further and giving as determined of a nod as a small child could.

“That’s too bad they don’t know how to play any games. I can teach them. And my friends can too. We know a lot of games! They’re fun.” It seemed she was excited about the idea, and Vela thought it best to remind her through Dritz that there was only a small chance the Aurians could come live here. This didn’t seem to alter much of Marin’s enthusiasm, however.

“I’ll tell my parents about it. They always know what to do. And they can talk to our leaders. I want to help.” Vela was so touched by all of this that she found she didn’t know quite what to say. But Marin had jumped up eagerly and was patting Dritz on the shoulder, then touching Vela’s hand shyly. “I have to go. I was supposed to be heading home anyway… they’ll worry. But I’ll tell them. They always believe me. So please come back again someday, okay?”

It was difficult to even get in a goodbye before Marin had run off. Vela looked down at Dritz, offering her hand as he stood up before signing, [I wish all Trelosians were so easy to convince. This young one was lovely.] She put her arms around him gently, feeling more hope even though she knew nothing might come of it.

The little Trelosian wasted no time in bounding off in the most adorable way, reminding Dritz very much of his closest sister, who was just as bright eyed and curious, and bold with her words. He watched her go with a brighter smile.

“What a sweetie,” he muttered, taking Vela’s hand (though he made sure not to use her to lift himself, fearing she might simply fall on top of him) and standing. He gladly leaned into the embrace, wrapping the Aurian in his arms with a happy sigh, “It’s nice to have a little spark of positivity. You seem happier too. Thing is though, flower, children are persuasive. They see things for what they are, and I think Marin will pester her family until she’s heard.” He laughed, resting his forehead against hers.

Vela closed her eye for a time, content to stay just as they were, and almost needing it. It was good to think of Marin possibly being of some help, even if not right away. Jern would be talking to others, and even if no one else in this city were to listen to them, Marin would tell her parents and possibly her friends, who could also speak to their parents. Dritz was correct that she did feel happier; the incident had reminded her that not all hope was lost.

[You were very good with her,] Vela signed as they resumed their walking at last. [I admit I don’t know much about children, there weren’t any nearby when I had grown up. Is it because of your siblings that you knew how to talk to her so well? How many of them are children now?] Her curiosity about Dritz and his life had returned, meaning she had to know the answers now without saving her questions for another time.

Dritz chuckled. “I suppose, yeah. I just like kids, they’re so… accepting. They have their questions, but it’s never harsh or judgmental. They just have their own ways of understanding things, and they don’t hold grudges or prejudices. It’s amazing,” he said thoughtfully, sliding his fingers with Vela’s, holding her hand as they walked.

Looking slightly sheepish, Dritz did a quick count in his head, “I guess… there’s maybe two that are still very little, like Marin’s sort of age, and then a couple of teens, and another my age, but they’re only my immediate siblings. My mother and her primary partner both have several others, so I have a lot of them! I’m one of the oldest though. Did you grow up around other children?” He turned to her with a soft expression, hoping she would say yes, so she could have at least experienced time with others her own age.

[I wonder if all children everywhere are like that,] Vela signed reflectively, letting go of Dritz’s hand for the moment, but finding herself drifting back to it whenever she stopped talking.

[That is a lot.] She was a little bewildered by the concept, but understood it was different for other species. [I think I mentioned that we don’t form family units. I would know if I’m related to someone, but other than that… Yes, there were two others with me. One I was very close to, and thought would leave Aurctas with me when the time came.] The only way she felt able to express her sadness over the loss of her friend was to shake her head slowly. [The other was quite aloof from us. But I suppose it was simply a differing personality, not any actual dislike.]

For the moment she felt she would rather focus on Dritz than her own history. [How do Chrysalans live with more than one partner and family? All in the same place, or do they divide their time? Did you have to look after the ones younger than you? Are you good friends with any of them, like the one who is your age?] The flurry of questions she put to him might not have been appropriate to their current situation, but Vela thought they had the time, and by now she was engrossed in the topic.

“I dunno,” the Chrysalan mused, “I think that sort of thing depends on how their lives are… I’ve heard about places where the children are delinquents, and almost run things on the planet. Or maybe that was a story… ” He shrugged, chuckling. “Either way, I don’t think all children are the same, sadly. Most, though.”

The idea of no family unit did make Dritz somewhat sad, but he had decided a while ago that the differences between himself and Vela were what made them interesting, and unless something made her sad, he would try to accept it. “It’s a shame the other kid didn’t want to be friends, but… I guess in such a difficult environment I probably wouldn’t be so cheerful either.”

He smiled, gesturing as he spoke, though it was abstract movement, talking with his free hand as opposed to directing or indicating anything, “Well, sometimes they all live together, but I know my parents didn’t really have the space or money to do that. We would have a regular gathering of everyone, though, with everyone bringing food so no one had to do all of the cooking for such a large group.” He couldn’t help but laugh as he tried to think about all the questions she had given him. “Kli, he’s my age… we get along well. To see us side by side, you wouldn’t believe we were related apart from a similar skin tone, though. But yeah, everyone pitches in with daily care. Tvie took to me really quickly… I’m not sure why, but she followed me everywhere for a while, it was pretty cute. I think you’ll like her, I know she’ll like you.“

Vela listened raptly to everything Dritz said, from the concept of children running a planet, to the details of Chrysalan home life and information about some of his siblings. It was all incredibly fascinating to her, and she was absorbed in it in spite of herself.

[It’s nice to think of everyone getting along so well,] she signed with a smile. [I imagine having multiple partners and different children between them must be quite… different than anything I know. Aurians are very devoted to their one partner, even if the idea of a family doesn’t extend to children.] She wondered briefly whether that could change if they did move to Trelos, thinking it might be nice if so.

[They all sound wonderful. I would like to meet them. I want to see those who are close to you. But they may think I’m odd. What would make the little one like me?] She wanted to believe what Dritz was saying was true, but she did have concerns otherwise.

Wrapping an arm around Vela and kissing her temple, relishing the soft tickle of her pale hair against his nose, Dritz chuckled softly, "And I always thought that the idea of being devoted to a single person would be odd, as it’s different to everything I know. I mean, some Chrysalans are just devoted to their primary, and they’re completely happy with that, but I never thought that’d be me 'til I met you.” He squeezed her to him gently, beaming.

He kissed her again for reassurance. “She’s a very curious little thing, she will be utterly fascinated by your language. I bet she’ll want to learn it. She’ll like your hair too, I think. While everything 'fashionable’ on Chrysala right now is very colourful, she really likes the sort of pale colours, and it’s really rare to see very, very light hair on us. I hope you will like them all. Tvie will have maaany questions for you, I’m sure!”

They walked quietly for a bit longer, before he asked, “Are you nervous to go to Chrysala? You seem to be pretty worried about my family finding you unusual… I just don’t like the thought of you being uncomfortable.”

Vela was enjoying the feeling of Dritz being close to her, and managed to return some of his kisses. She nodded in understanding, while still thinking that if he found someone else he wanted to be with as well, she would easily be able to accept that.

The reasons Tvie would be interested in her were surprising, but made Vela feel better about getting to meet her. If she was not completely odd, and in fact had some attractive qualities to the Chrysalans, it would only help. Her desire to fit in among them was also strange to her. It shouldn’t matter, but…

[I know I will like them,] she finally signed once her arm was free again. [I guess I am a little nervous. It was a problem I encountered before I left my home. I was worried that I would be unable to integrate with anyone else. But you find my presence enjoyable. I think Orion did, too. That prince from Coronus…] She made a very dismissive gesture. [But I know not everyone will like me. I feel as though your family will be accepting, as they taught you to be accepting. Or I hope so. You know them best.]

She gave Dritz the slightest smile, thinking it best they return to the task at hand for now. [Do you want to continue our search?]

Dritz couldn’t help the smirk that came across his lips when Vela mentioned the prince of Coronus. “Ah, I dunno that Fera likes anyone, flower, I wouldn’t worry about his opinion too much. Orion definitely seemed to like you, though. I think he liked your language a lot, or he certainly seemed to. I can understand you feeling nervous though,” he said. Wanting to give her the space to speak, but still wanting to be close to her, Dritz let his hand rest at the small of her back, his fingers stroking lightly as they went.

“We should continue. Marin has given me some more hope that we will find Aurians willing to speak to us, to listen and to be enthusiastic. Perhaps none will be as enthusiastic as she was, but it’s a start,” he chuckled.

Dritz’s words proved true; they found no other Trelosian as enthusiastic or willing to talk as Marin had been that day, or even the next day. It was not for lack of trying, as they traveled in a fairly wide area to speak to as many citizens as possible. There were also a couple of meetings with leaders other than Arlin, but they seemed incredibly conservative in their responses and general attitude. Overall, some promised to think more about it, but it appeared the majority didn’t find the idea of the Aurians to be of much particular interest.

At the end of the third day, as Arlin had decided, Vela and Dritz met with the elderly Trelosian leader a final time before they would depart in the morning. Even remembering Marin, Vela was feeling reserved and not much like conversation unless necessary. She would add her input, but only if it was important.

“Ah, there you are,” Arlin spoke with a smile as they approached. The evening was just beginning to dim, the sky darkening into its more golden color and a soft wind beginning to pick up and move through the foliage to create a rustling which surrounded them. It was the same place they had always met, and they sat on the now familiar benches near Arlin after greeting her.

“So. For three days you have done what you could. And I’m sure you did the very best you could.” Arlin’s voice was kind, but Vela kept her eyes fixed on a clump of greenish flowers growing near her feet. The blossoms were nodding along with the breeze in a way which was oddly comforting. "What have you learned during your stay here?“

It was not a question Vela had thought to be asked. She frowned a little, giving Dritz a glance to let him know he could speak first.

Sadly, there were a lot of disappointing conversations filling their time, even if not all of them were terribly negative. The most upsetting part was that Vela had clearly been hoping for so much more. It pained Dritz that he couldn’t just hand her these things she wanted for her people.

Arlin’s face remained a warm and friendly one, however, and she was a considerable comfort to see. Dritz tried to keep their meeting casual, as he felt Arlin had become a friend to them, leaning back on the bench with one hand supporting him, though he was keeping his voice fairly formal.

"The Trelosians do seem to want to keep themselves to themselves. Isolation is not the correct way to put it, but it’s the closest thing I can think of at the moment,” he said carefully, glancing at Vela, “I don’t mind saying, I’m pretty disappointed, but… I suppose everyone has their own troubles, don’t they? There were a few who were a bit more open to us, though, and they were great. You yourself have been a welcoming beacon of encouragement to us.”

“I see. That’s not unexpected.” Arlin didn’t sound disappointed, which surprised Vela somewhat. She finally did glance up in curiosity at the older Trelosian, seeing she was watching and likely awaiting some input from her as well. “Isolation is close. The truth that many don’t want to recognize is that we need help on this planet, and it’s not going to come from within.”

[There were a few who seemed intrigued,] Vela signed abruptly, with Dritz translating. [I appreciate them, but I wonder if it was enough. Those few are not… influential in the community.]

“Ah, but you never know,” Arlin replied briskly. “Change can be born of the tiniest spark. It will just need time to grow.” Her gaze was now firmly fixed on Vela, who looked back curiously. “There are mutterings of you spreading to all inhabited areas of our lands already, in just three days. I would say your visit was constructive. Perhaps returning to your starting point for now and planning further would be best. And a few conversations with the Aurians themselves, and the Chrysalans, hm? You are attempting a wonderful thing for your people, and I believe you have done well. From the bottom of my heart, I would also like to thank you.”

Arlin actually moved from her bench then, standing to bow to them. This startled Vela so much that she quickly stood and bowed too. [You have my welcome, and also my thanks. I will continue to hold onto my hope as much as possible.]

Dritz listened with a soft smile, watching Vela and Arlin interacting, helping Vela with the odd translation when he was needed. The old Trelosian had been so kind to them, so helpful, and her words stoked the flickering embers of his hope for the Aurians and Trelos. That they were even beginning to discuss the newcomers was promising in itself. He agreed that they now needed to make sure they followed through on it; speaking to the Aurians to start persuading them that the move would save them, and see if the Chrysalan authorities would be willing to assist. Dritz still believed they would have some luck in that endeavour.

He too stood when Vela did, bowing to Arlin as well. He couldn’t help but take her small hands in his and hold them gently, “As will we, ma'am. You are a credit to your people. If there’s anything at all I, personally, could ever do to aid you or Trelos in return for your hospitality, please contact me.”

“I certainly will,” Arlin replied, her own smile rather wide. “Not to place any pressure, but I might be counting on you to start bringing about this union of our species so that I can pass from this world with a peaceful soul. I am old, and don’t think I could make an extended trip across space to see to it myself.”

The Trelosian withdrew momentarily before reaching into a pocket of her robes and retrieving a small device which Vela didn’t recognize. As it was handed to her, she studied the roughly oval piece of metal, smaller than her palm, which had several switches and buttons along the side. “It’s a form of communication device our few scientists developed recently,” Arlin explained, showing them how it was used. “I have another one. We can use them to keep in contact over the enormous distance between us, though be aware that it will take a matter of hours for messages to be transmitted. Even so, it’s rather remarkable, don’t you think? We have the capability for so much more, but we will need the Aurians to help us. Do let me know if there is any notable news. Farewell, and good luck on your own union.”

Vela wasn’t sure what Arlin was referring to until she caught the look that went between herself and Dritz. Then she smiled awkwardly, giving another bow. [We look forward to working together, I think. Thank you again for all you have done, and take care of yourself.] Dritz translated and added his own goodbye, and soon they were walking away together, back in the direction of the hangar, their personal items already having been moved from their room back to the Nova.

[It went well,] Vela signed as they walked, turning slightly toward Dritz. [Better than I might have hoped for. I will try to remain optimistic, though there were disappointments I won’t easily forget. But thank you for coming here with me. Without you, I…] She hesitated to finish that statement, instead slipping her hand into his and intertwining their fingers, squeezing tightly.

Dritz once again thanked Arlin, for the comms device, her kind acknowledgment of their coupling, her hospitality for the umpteenth time, and was eventually steered away by Vela.

They walked slowly, Dritz idly toying with Vela’s hand, not holding it, but just hooking his fingers in hers, stroking her palm. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but with you, flower,” he said softly, leaning in and kissing her cheek, returning the gentle squeeze of their hands. “We will continue to work this out.”

He cupped her face and kissed her softly before pulling her into his arms, “I promise we can do this.”


	23. Reuniting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A haircut happens; Orion returns. Along with someone else...

The first week or so of their travel back to Hesperus was fairly quiet, at least on Vela’s part. While she was naturally quiet, she didn’t engage as much with Dritz for a time, leaving him to simply talk at her or ramble his thoughts aloud, which she didn’t mind listening to, adding what little she felt like when needed.

She had also withdrawn from the intimacy they had shared during the later part of their trip to Trelos, finding herself uninterested and too troubled to even think about it. Dritz never pushed her into anything, as she knew he wouldn’t, but she could tell his attraction to her hadn’t gone away. Despite what she had said about being hopeful, those first days were ultimately depressing for her as she worried over whether their plans would work at all.

One “morning” found her laying in bed with Dritz after he had just woken up. There were times when she couldn’t force herself to do much at all beyond sit and watch him as he went about checking the Nova’s engines, but today she felt might be a day to do more.

Without thinking about it much, she ran a hand back through her hair, turning her head to give Dritz a little smile.

Vela had retreated into her own thoughts in a way that might have worried Dritz if he hadn’t been able to see that she was working through her thoughts, all of the hope and disappointment and worry and effort she had put into their trip. It must have been exhausting for her, and the last thing she would need would be additional stress from him fussing over her. And so, he kept their conversations, such as they were, bright. He rambled, kissed her gently but frequently, and made her the best meals he could manage. He would try and share her worries as much as possible, but she would need someone to give her perspective, a clear vision.

With a bemused half-smile of his own, he reached up from where he was lounging back on the bed to stroke her face, “Now look at that. It’s lovely to see you smiling again, even a little.” He propped himself up on one elbow, pulling her close enough that he could kiss her forehead. “How’re you feeling, flower?”

After a moment of looking her over with a soft expression, his gaze flickered upwards, and a far more amused smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

[I feel alright,] Vela signed, sitting up and thinking about moving closer to rest herself against him, until she caught his amused glance upward for some reason. It wasn’t at anything far overhead…

She reached up to touch her hair, finding there seemed to be a lot more of it than when she’d last looked in a mirror. How long had it been since then? She wasn’t even sure. The hair was fluffier than usual, and likely sticking out in every direction and farther away from her face, she had no doubt. Her expression grew somewhat pained.

[Do I look strange? Aurian hair takes a long time to grow, but when it does…] She indicated a distance away from her head as if to show how big it would get. [That’s why we keep it short.] With a frustrated exhalation, she attempted to smooth her hair down but could feel it springing right back up again as soon as she removed her hands.

Once Vela seemed to realise what had amused him, Dritz did nothing more to stifle his affectionate laughter, covering his mouth with his free hand as he reached up and fluffed her soft hair.

“You don’t look strange, flower. You look cute. So cute,” he giggled, apparently particularly enchanted with how her hair seemed defiant, refusing to stay smoothed down against her, “I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed before. I saw you were getting fluffy bits here-” he tickled the wisps of hair by her ear, “But it didn’t seem so obvious that it’d gotten so long.”

He tugged her down to lie atop him, admiring the way her hair looked at that moment. It was relaxed, like she was completely relaxed with him. “So cute,” he reiterated, grinning.

Vela found herself puzzled at Dritz’s insistence that her hair was “cute.” She willingly laid down on him, immediately soothed by his warmth, allowing him to reach up and play with the fluffiness of her hair for a little while before she moved again to sign.

[I’m glad you don’t mind it, but I’m afraid I don’t think the same. It’s troublesome - I can feel it - and I don’t much care for how it looks, personally.] She shook her head, feeling how it moved against her, and frowned. [I wish we had some sort of scissors or even shears. Unless you do?]

On the topic of hair, Vela inspected Dritz’s for a moment before actually smiling again. [Yours is longer too. We’ve been gone quite a while.] Gently she reached out to pick up some of his hair where it rested against his neck, letting it slip through her fingers. That wasn’t something he could do with her own hair. [It looks fine too, but I think even longer… it might be nice.] She indicated a length just barely past his shoulders, tilting her head as she imagined it.

“Oh yeah?” Dritz asked with a wide grin. He’d always kind of fancied growing his hair long, but for one reason or another he had always ended up trimming it again. He relaxed against the feeling of her fingers in his hair, smiling.

“It’s a shame you don’t like how this looks though,” he said, playing with her thicker hair with a slight pout, “Buuut, I think I can help. If I find something to trim your hair with, do you want me to neaten it up for you? I’m pretty sure we could find something nice and sharp to make sure it’s neat and cropped again.”

Much as he enjoyed playing with the additional length of her hair, he understood the need to trim it. Expertly rolling Vela onto her back with a kiss, he tugged the blanket up to her chin, “Now, you wait here, and I’ll see what we have that will take your fluffiness.”

Vela had expected Dritz would take her along to find something to cut her hair, but was willing enough to wait. She nodded, feeling a little silly to be covered by the blanket, yet amused at the same time. There was no end to the amusing things he seemed to do, however, which was another reason why she enjoyed his company so much.

She awaited his return patiently, wiggling her toes against the blanket in an absentminded manner. Dritz would probably be able to cut her hair in a way that was satisfactory, or she could show him how if he wasn’t sure; she wasn’t worried about how it would turn out. She found her thoughts drifting to other things in the meantime, specifically what else she might like to do once they had finished with her hair.

Soon after he left, Dritz returned with his tools, seemingly trying to decide between them with a comically thoughtful expression. He had a heavy pair of bladed pliers in one hand, and in the other hand were a slightly less frightening-looking set of shears. He plopped down next to her, holding them up for her to look at.

“I think one of these will work, if not both. Like, the heavy clippers for getting rid of some of the length, then the little ones to neaten it up?” he asked, holding them up. “You’re gunna have to trust me, though, I’ve never cut anyone’s hair before. We’ll make this work between us, yeah?” He beamed, gesturing for her to move and sit on the floor by the bed before grabbing a spare blanket from the locker at the other end of the room. “I’ll sit on the bed, and you should be at the right height for me to snip.”

Vela sat up, the blanket slipping away from her as she studied the tools Dritz had brought. She nodded seriously, thinking that plan should work. [I trust you,] she signed simply, standing up from the bed. [It won’t matter so much what it looks like, as long as it’s shorter.]

He had spread the spare blanket out on the floor for her to sit on in order to catch the hair clippings as they fell. Vela thought this was a good idea, and also removed the long tunic she had been wearing to sleep in and tossed it onto the bed before sitting down and leaning back against the edge. After all, wearing clothes would mean they might pick up little bits of hair, which would be an annoyance.

[Here. And here especially,] she signed, showing him where to cut most of the hair. [If possible, as close as you first saw it, if you can remember.]

Settling himself down on the bed, Dritz nodded as he was instructed, examining where she was gesturing. Before starting, he leant down and kissed her neck, wanting to relish in the soft fluff for a moment before they parted ways.

He slowly and carefully snipped in what was a seemingly meticulous order, regularly running his fingers through her hair to check the length (as well as to enjoy how soft it always was). The process took far longer than he intended it to, but when he leaned back and stood, coming to crouch in front of her and inspect his work, he beamed. It was closely cropped and, aside from the ends of her hair being fairly blunted from the incorrect tools (the sort of thing that would grow out fine in a week or so), it looked okay.

“Perfect,” he said softly, reaching up and brushing some loose strands from her face and neck, his hands lingering on her shoulders.

Dritz was moving slowly as he cut her hair, which meant he was taking the time to be thorough and careful. Yet Vela also got the feeling he was simply enjoying it, with the way he would stop and frequently caress it, though it was possible he was just removing loose pieces that had fallen against her head. Either way it was a relaxing experience, and when he was done and had moved in front of her to inspect it, she smiled at him.

[Thank you. I can tell it will be fine already, I’m never worried about my hair except when it’s too long.] His hands brushing across her shoulders felt intimate all of a sudden, and Vela leaned up quickly to kiss him. After a long moment of gazing into his eyes, she glanced away a bit shyly and gestured to the hair surrounding her on the blanket.

[Do you want to keep some?] she signed in amusement, thinking he might if he really did like it so much.

Despite how warm he had found himself feeling. Dritz chuckled at the suggestion of keeping her hair. He stroked against her temple in a way that would have tucked her hair behind her ears were it long enough, and shook his head with a little smile, “I think I prefer it on your head. But… if we were ever apart for a long amount of time, then maybe…” He felt somewhat odd admitting that he’d find the softness a comfort if they were apart for a long time.

He carefully brushed the last few hairs off her as best he could, helping her tidy up. As they were finishing up, he slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing softly at her neck. “I know it wasn’t very, very long, but I still like how much more neck there seems to be,” he murmured, nuzzling her pale skin.

[Would you miss me that much already, if we were apart?] Vela signed with a smile, thinking the admission was sweet. She knew she would miss him if such a situation arose, having been around him so much of the time now that it was difficult to imagine being without him. [I would give you a bit of hair then. Maybe a piece of my clothing…] Likely she would feel the same, wanting something belonging to Dritz with her, but she didn’t want to contemplate a distance between them for now.

They had cleaned up as much of the hair as possible, discarding the clippings and returning the blanket (still mostly clean) to the locker. Dritz enveloped her in an embrace suddenly and Vela felt herself relaxing back against him, enjoying the feel of his lips against her neck. [I’m glad you like it,] she finally signed, turning to face him. For a moment it seemed like she would say more, but she simply felt a longing she hadn’t experienced at all in the past week, the need to be even closer to him. She moved to embrace him again, sliding her hands up his back and tilting her head enough to kiss his lips, first softly, then more insistent as her need grew.

There was no hint of embarrassment as Dritz nodded. They had grown close in what, really, was quite a short time, but their close proximity for the extended travel time had facilitated that, and he was nothing but thankful. "Of course I’d miss you that much. I’d be too used to having you about here for me to cuddle,“ he said, gesturing to a space under his arm, close to his left side and over his chest.

Once met with her kiss, Dritz returned it with perhaps more enthusiasm than he meant to begin with, but with her hands on his back after little contact throughout their time on the ship, he soon lifted her into his arms, supporting her legs around his waist, deepening the kiss.

Dritz’s response to her touch and kiss made Vela exhale softly. It startled her a little when he lifted her up, but her legs almost naturally went around his waist while he supported her comfortably. They continued kissing but at last broke away from each other, near breathless, and Vela nodded to show she wanted to continue.

With the utmost care and gentleness, Dritz set her down on the edge of the bed and leaned over her, his arms resting on either side as they resumed sharing a passionate kiss.

-

The months passed quickly. Vela had many conversations with Dritz as they attempted to sort out their future plans for trying to unite the peoples of Trelos and Aurctas, but they also had many times where they simply lay together talking of nothing in particular, or shared a quiet enjoyment in each other’s bodies.

When the day finally came when they would arrive at Hesperus Alpha, they both had a sense of excitement to return. There was something familiar and lovely about the station now, and Vela had a great fondness for it as the place where she had first met Dritz.

They were getting dressed together as Vela found herself smiling wider than she normally might. [I can’t wait to get there,] she signed to him, watching as he selected one of the brighter shirts he had brought. [I’ve had a wonderful time with you, and we did good work on Trelos. But I think of the station as home, for now. I’ll be glad to see it again.]

Despite how he enjoyed travel and despite how much he was comfortable in his own company, Dritz had always thought he would grow bored with long stretches in space, but with Vela, it was almost like he couldn’t remember having so much fun. They were comfortable together, they talked all the time, even with the very minor language barrier, they taught each other things, and cooperated on the running of the ship. It was, as with takeoff and landing, like they were a well-maintained machine.

Dritz, dropping the bright orange shirt he had been about to put on, scooped Vela into a big hug, lifting her off the ground, happy to see such a radiant smile on her. "I’m looking forward to being back too. It is our home, really! You know the first thing we should do? Get some real food!”

If Vela had the capability of laughing aloud, it was likely she would have just then. But she had to agree with Dritz’s assessment of getting “real” food; their short stay on Trelos between two long stretches of space travel had not been nearly enough time to feel they had gotten enough decent food to eat.

After Dritz had managed to get dressed at last, they spent the remaining few hours of their time on the ship making certain everything was ready for a smooth landing, and talking with excitement (and greater detail) about the things they would like to do after arriving. The landing itself was, naturally, just as smooth as always, and they exited the hangar hand in hand with genuinely happy smiles on their faces.

Of course, they had to be practical and return to their room to be sure everything was still there, and drop off the few things they needed to return to it. Nothing was out of order, and they made their way into the bustling streets of the food district with a sense of familiarity that was comforting. Vela let Dritz choose where he would like to eat, as he was the most eager to find something that was, as he put it, “cheap but amazing and, best of all, real.”

It turned out that Dritz was incredibly discerning when it came to the first meal after a long time in space, and he led Vela by the hand through lots of streets at a casual pace, perusing the restaurants and freestanding market food stalls they came across until he found a Karpathan place that specialised in lots of small dishes to sample.

Dritz pulled Vela’s chair our for her and encouraged her to sit. “Have you had Karpathan food before? It’s really nice, but some dishes are quite rich, so you combine them with the softer dishes. I’ll show you!”

The dishes were laid out on the table in a pleasing pattern, each plate seeming to be a different colour of a rainbow. One contained what looked like a pale yellow-green grass spiralling into a crispy nest, with shreds of a fine red spice picked out in it, another seemed to be a dark red meat in a heavy, sweet sauce, there was another bowl of thin broth with cubes of white and green vegetables in the centre. All of them were accompanied by a variety of sauces, chopped vegetables and soft, fluffy breads.

“Yes. Now this what I was talking about,” Dritz said excitedly, rubbing his hands together. “I hope you enjoy!”

Vela shook her head; obviously she had never had Karpathan food, but she likely would never have thought to try it on her own, either. Everything was so colorful and visually interesting that she spent a little time staring at it before she was finally able to begin to eat. When she did, the combination of flavors and textures was enough to keep her fascinated in a way she had never been with food before.

[It’s very interesting,] she commented to Dritz before dipping a piece of bread in yet another sauce to try together. [And it’s made me wonder what traditional Aurian food would have really been like. There are a few records but… I think that was largely considered information that was too unimportant to preserve.] The thought was sad, but there was nothing to be done about it, so she didn’t focus on it long.

[This was a good idea, though. What is Chrysalan food like?] She may have remembered some of this information from her studies, but she liked to hear Dritz talk about his home in his own words.

Despite how eager he was to dig in to the array of different foods in front of them, Dritz held back so that he could watch Vela enjoy it all first, wanting to make sure she had gotten to try it all. There was such an indescribable beauty to experiencing her expression as she tried new things.

“You seem to be enjoying it a lot, I’m really glad we came to this one in particular,” he said, before his expression turned sad. “Maybe the ancient Aurian diet was similar to the Trelosians?” he suggested.

He beamed at Vela when she asked about his own home world, and its food. “Wow, well… It tends to be light and vegetable-based, with… I guess it’s a floral taste? It’s hard to describe. The Chrysalan tea we make is a good example; the blossoms can be dried and baked with some oil to make savoury snacks, but I don’t really like them much, cuz the blossom is too bitter. I’ll have to cook you something traditionally Chrysalan sometime, won’t I?”

[It must have been similar,] Vela replied thoughtfully before prodding at some of the white vegetables. She wasn’t sure how much meat was consumed, but had determined there was at least some, based on what little information she had been able to find.

[I would like that. Your food sounds very interesting, and I do like flowers. But you should eat, you’ve just been watching me.] She gave him a smile and gestured around at all the plates, wanting him to begin and share the meal with her.

-

A handful of tables away, Orion was enjoying a similar meal. He’d been looking for something new and interesting to try, and Karpathan food was definitely new and interesting. His companion had refused to accompany him, but that wasn’t unexpected, and Orion was determined to keep working on him.

The last few months could also be defined as “new and interesting.” Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected his life to take this sort of turn, but he was willing to embrace it for exactly what it was.

Finishing up the last of his food, he began glancing idly around the room when he spotted two familiar faces: Dritz and Vela were also enjoying a Karpathan meal, and a slow grin took over his expression as he realized how lucky he was. He had been searching for them for a while now, but the only information available seemed to be that they had left the station for an undetermined amount of time.

The sight of them together was also comforting. Orion had seen many mixed-species couples fail because they simply couldn’t reconcile their differences. But he could see these two were devoted to each other from their expressions and the way they interacted, and there was a little something extra in their manner which suggested to him they had grown even closer. He was genuinely glad for them and would likely tell them so shortly.

He did decide to wait until they seemed nearly finished eating before cleaning up his own table and strolling over in what he hoped was a casual enough manner. “Hi there,” he offered with a grin, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit. “Good food, huh? And it helped me find you at last, which is pretty helpful.”

Of course Vela had noticed. Not much went by her, and Dritz couldn’t help the grin that took over his face as he started gathering small amounts of each dish to his plate, tasting some together and either scrunching his face up, proclaiming the combination a mistake, or flapping a hand excitedly to encourage Vela to try the same combination of flavours.

They were just discussing their next plan, to perhaps return to the hologarden and see what new planet’s season it had taken on, knowing it wouldn’t be the same as the fresh and very real plants on Trelos, but making the best of it nonetheless, when Orion of all people approached them. Dritz had stared in delighted awe for a second before leaping to his feet and throwing his arms around the scruffy man, slapping him on the back.

“Ori! What kind of luck is this, huh?” he said brightly, grabbing a free chair from an empty table and pulling it up to their own, “Sit down, sit down! How are you? It’s so nice to see you again!”

Dritz’s greeting was genuine and enthusiastic, and Orion found himself with a wide grin as he returned the quick embrace and sat down as he was invited to do so. Vela was her usual more reserved self, though she did give the human a warm smile and signed ‘hello’ along with something else which Dritz translated as her being glad to see him too.

“And it’s great to see you both,” he said, settling into the chair. He had a feeling a lot of explanations might be on the way. “It really is luck, since I had been looking for you ever since I came back to the station, and it’s only when I was minding my own business that I found you. I’ve been well. I mean, I’ve had my ups and downs, but… things are going pretty well at the moment.” His own explanation seemed complicated to him, so he thought hearing theirs would be best first.

“So what have you been up to the past… well, it’s been almost a year, hasn’t it? I came back to Hesperus around a month ago, pretty intent to find you and repay you somehow now that I’ve found my feet again, for the most part. The only information I could get was that you’d left but were holding your room open for when you returned. So I thought I’d wait and see if you might turn up.”

Vela seemed to want to respond, facing Orion but signing toward Dritz in order to allow him to translate. Orion watched both her hands and her expression, able to tell the topic was serious, but not much else until the Chrysalan spoke.

Something about Orion’s equally warm and bright response made Dritz incredibly happy. While he did have companions on Chrysala, none were ever so… Boisterous as he was, he supposed. It was nice to have a similar response, especially since he had taken to the man so quickly.

He watched Vela’s signs with a smile that was unabashedly adoring, almost like he forgot Orion was there for a moment. Gosh, she was the most beautiful in the galaxy, though. Turning back to arguably the most beautiful human in the galaxy, Dritz explained, “We’ve been looking into helping the Aurians find a new home, and Trelos was the nearest suitable planet. There’s some other options, but hopefully we’ll be able to work with Trelos. It was sort of spur of the moment, really. We just… Up and left! It was an adventure.” He smiled more softly then, looking over at Vela.

“But what about you, my friend? I can’t believe you came here just to wait and see us! That’s… Wow. I’m really touched.”

“Ah, that sounds incredible. What a great thing to do for your people. I hope it works out the way you’d like.” There wasn’t a lot Orion could say on the subject, but from what little he had managed to discover about the Aurians, he knew they needed a change to their lifestyle. “You’re both really admirable for taking on such an enormous task. And I’m a bit familiar with Trelos… Nice place, not too populated. I could see that working.”

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair in a way that only made it more unkempt, before giving his usual lopsided smile. The look on Dritz’s face as he watched Vela was unmistakable. “And it’s good to see you two still together. It can be difficult for two different species trying to make their way together as a couple. And I guess you never know where life’s going to take you. You probably didn’t think you’d be off on a journey like that, just the same as I didn’t think I’d end up romantically involved with royalty from Coronus.”

He began chuckling to himself over the very thought, but stopped when he noticed the reaction to his words. Vela was staring at him in concern, her one normal eye wide, before turning a disbelieving look toward Dritz. Orion would have explained further, but their reactions were so strange that it gave him pause.

“Er… what? Did I say something wrong?”

“Yeah, I always figured I’d just end up with someone fr-,” Dritz stopped, comically frozen as something occurred to him. He looked at Vela intensely. Somehow they seemed to have a conversation in an instant. Did he just…? Yes. He did? Yeah, I know. Are you gunna…? No. Should I…? One of us has to.

Dritz seemed to lose any semblance of his usual bright, polite and diplomatic self as he began to giggle uncontrollably before spotting Orion’s confusion. He turned to the scruffy man, tittering nervously, “Sorry, friend, I thought you…” The expression on Orion’s face told him all he needed before he even finished the question. “Oh. Oh… Oh wow. Okay. You’re really serious.”

They remained quiet for a long moment before Dritz cocked his head. Fera, because it had to be, was not particularly receptive to them, but… he might be different with someone he deemed pretty enough. The Chrysalan smiled more genuinely this time, “That’s wonderful. I… really hope he makes you happy. He’s… never seemed like the romantic sort to me, but then, I’ve never been involved with a royal.” He gave Orion a wink.

Obviously still baffled by their responses, Orion stared between the two of them. “Of course I’m serious, I… Wait a minute… you know him?”

Vela took over, even though she knew Dritz would have to translate first. Her expression was grim now, as she thought Orion must be very confused to make what she felt was probably a big mistake. [We’ve made his acquaintance in the past. He is a horrible person.]

“Uh… Dritz, I appreciate that, but… I think Vela isn’t too happy about it, from what I can gather. And let me tell you, if we’re really talking about the same prince of Coronus here, I completely understand if you’re not on the best of terms with him.” Orion did look pained then, so Vela thought he must know what he was doing… but why?

Dritz laughed sheepishly again, wincing at Vela’s signing. As if he worried that Orion might understand, he reached over and stroked her hands gently. He sort of agreed, in a way, but he wouldn’t want anyone to say anything against his own lover, so he wouldn’t want to say anything against Orion’s. Even if it was, apparently, Fera.

“I think there’s only one prince of Coronus,” he joked. “See… We blew a resonance tube, and Prince Fera picked up our distress beacon. He…” Dritz gestured vaguely, glancing at Vela, “Wasn’t the nicest to us. He was very rude to Vela in particular… but he did help. In the end. But no, you and him don’t really see eye to eye, huh?” He offered Vela a slightly apologetic smile.

“Yeah… there is only one,” Orion agreed heavily, too distressed to think about how Dritz’s statement had been intended to sound. If they already knew Fera, already knew how difficult he could be… In a way, that made things both easier and harder.

“That sounds like Fera,” he continued, looking closely at Vela. “From my experience so far, a bit less than a year, he can be rude and abrasive, but like Dritz said, he did end up helping you. Fera has… a lot of issues. That doesn’t excuse his behavior, so for now I’ll apologize to you, seeing as how I’m sure he never did.”

Vela didn’t look convinced at all, just nodded stiffly and continued to watch Orion with some mixture of suspicion. He sighed, realizing the difficult path which lay ahead. “Long story short, my ship was destroyed and it was in large part due to our troublesome Prince Fera. Before you get too alarmed…” -because they already looked alarmed- “…I’m fine with it now. Mostly. But of course I wasn’t at first, and only hung around him in an effort to get him to pay for it in some way. As more time went by, I got to know him better. And, well… he’s not so bad. Needs work though. A lot of work. Underneath that cold exterior, there really is someone vulnerable and… well, pretty wonderful.”

With the weakest of smiles, he shrugged. “I’d understand if you no longer want anything to do with me because of my association with him. In fact I’d not hold it against you in the slightest.” It was all he could do to explain, but Orion liked Dritz and Vela, and hoped they were willing to give Fera a chance.

While Dritz had been listening intently, his expression had been growing softer and softer, and when Orion even suggested that they might no longer want to associate with him, he looked almost physically pained. He threw himself forward and bundled the human into a huge hug, shaking his head.

“Absolutely not,” he said firmly when he finally let the poor man go. “Okay, so… Fera iiis not the easiest guy to be around. He was rude to my flower, and that is not cool, but you’re with him. And I think that’s more than enough to tell me there’s something more to him!” He shrugged, “Plus, I like you too much to not be friends. Right?” He looked over at Vela for her input, smiling hopefully.

Vela watched in some concern, thinking Dritz was being perhaps a little overly emotional about the situation. It was true she liked Orion as well, but her caution meant she simply couldn’t accept all of this too easily.

She beckoned at the Chrysalan after apologizing to Orion for the moment and asking him to wait, walking away through the streets a good enough distance so they wouldn’t be overheard. Facing Dritz with a little frown, she signed, [I’m not sure. Orion seems to be a good man. But Fera… what if this is some kind of elaborate plan? Even if I’m not sure he has the patience to draw out a plan for almost a year.] That was certainly true. The prince of Coronus seemed the type to lose interest quickly, so remaining with Orion that long might mean he was being genuine in this case.

[I just want to be safe,] she continued, hoping he would understand. [You heard what happened to Orion’s ship. What if the Nova…] It was too difficult to complete that statement. It would be an enormous loss not just to herself and Dritz, but to the cause of the Aurians.

As soon as they were alone, Dritz drew Vela close, looking at her with concern. He watched her signing and her expression closely. He nodded, considering her concerns, before cupping her face and kissing her, soothingly stroking his thumbs over her cheekbones.

“I get it,” he said softly, “But I don’t think Fera would have done such a thing on purpose. He may be a stupid jerk, but I don’t think he’d take any pleasure from physically harming someone. Heh, I know that’s not especially comforting. What I’m saying is that I don’t think you need to be concerned. Orion is a great guy, I think some of his goodness will rub off on our friend, the prince. You like Ori, right? I trust his opinions, and I really think he wouldn’t have anything to do with him if he didn’t see something good there. I mean, he’s friends with us, and we’re amazing!” He pulled her into his arms, ducking his head and looking at her seriously, “And if he tries anything, or says anything to you, I’ll have words. I won’t let anything happen to you, flower. And I won’t let anything happen to the Nova. Okay?” He smiled softly, adding, “Cap'n.”

As usual, Dritz’s tender actions and words broke through some of Vela’s skepticism. Her own expression softened as she watched him carefully, listening to what he said and debating the matter in her mind. When he pulled away to let her speak, she nodded first.

[Orion is nice. I think I can trust him. But I won’t trust Fera. You can’t ask me to, but I will tolerate him… or try.] It was going to be quite a task, but if the prince was going to be rude to her then she thought she was within her rights to act the same toward him. Within reason.

Most of all, however, the reappearance of Orion seemed to make Dritz so happy. Vela didn’t want to take that away from him, or the fact she was certain the two could be good friends. That made her happy, in turn. She still felt she owed him so much, even if she wouldn’t bring that up. [Thank you. I feel a little better about it now.] One more time she moved to embrace him and they shared a gentle kiss, before returning to where Orion was waiting.

“Hey. Uh… I hope it’s all okay. Like I said, I’ll understand no matter what.” Orion seemed nervous and worried as well, and Vela began to understand that he truly did want their companionship. Maybe he was lonely if Fera wasn’t around.

[We’ll remain friends,] she signed to Orion, though she had turned toward Dritz so he could see. [I don’t know that Fera likes us at all, but I guess we’ll have to see if that’s changed.]

Dritz chuckled affectionately, shaking his head. “I would never ask you to trust Fera. I think he should appreciate the fact that you’re trying at all, after how he’s treated you.” After a moment’s embrace, he added in a softer tone, “I think you’re amazing, you know?”

Poor Orion seemed more than a little concerned when they returned to their table, but Dritz smiled at him in a way he hoped was reassuring. He’d taken to Orion’s messy, relaxed appearance and kind eyes almost instantly, and he truly wanted to keep their blossoming friendship healthy. However, he did think he would have sided with Vela were she unhappy. Of course he would have. He cared too deeply not to.

“We’re a bit worried that Fera doesn’t like us much. It just might be a bit of a struggle, yeah?” he said with a shrug. “But we want to stay friends. Maybe we could all… Spend some time together? Could be fun?”

When they finally returned to the table, Orion was able to relax somewhat. He had hoped they would actually come back, though he worried they wouldn’t. But Dritz and Vela didn’t seem the type to abandon him without so much as a farewell.

“Ah, great. Thank you both. I understand this might be difficult at times, but believe me when I say it’s something we can handle and will be worthwhile in the end.” At least, he hoped so. “As for whether Fera likes you… well. I can’t speak for him. But I honestly think there’s no reason he shouldn’t. We’ll work that out if needed.”

He leaned back and blew out a long breath, thinking. “Yeah, actually meeting up is the first step. What about the hologardens? You’ve been there before, I’m sure? I can’t decide if I should tell him about you beforehand. He might not come if he knows. But it would be just plain easier if he doesn’t know, anyway. If that’s alright… maybe tomorrow evening? I want to give you guys a chance to rest, too.”

Pausing, he looked them over with a sheepish smile. “Stop me if I’m trying to plan this all out myself. I guess I’m a little stressed out by wanting this to go well.”

Dritz pulled a face, not because of Orion, but because of the unexpected offense he felt at the idea that Fera hadn’t even mentioned them, let alone given any indication of whether he liked them or not. Of course the prince would not be the type to do something like that, but Dritz still could not help feeling disappointed.

Nevertheless, Orion seemed to want them all to spend time together, which was nice to know. He knew they would be able to make the effort for him, even if doing so for Fera might be… difficult.

He glanced at Vela, his smile both soft and amused at the same time, “Ah, yes. We know the gardens well. I think that’s a great idea, but do you have any objections, flower? And don’t you worry, Ori, we will do our best to make this work.”

The mention of the hologardens made Vela want to smile but frown at the same time. Of course she wanted to go there, but not with Fera around. Her fond memories of being there with Dritz didn’t need to be tainted in the future. Still, it might be their best chance at some sort of reconciliation which, despite everything else, she did want. If they could get along with the prince then it would be for the best… but she couldn’t imagine it happening.

[That’s fine. We’ll meet there tomorrow night.] After deciding on a time, and offering more reassurances that everything would be alright, they finally parted ways, with Dritz and Vela walking together slowly back to their rooms.

Vela didn’t say anything for some time, keeping her hand in Dritz’s and intertwining their fingers softly. She listened to him ramble a little about the meeting, and how things could have changed in the meantime, but after a while she decided it was better to focus on something else.

[Let’s relax for a while,] she suggested to him once they were safely in their rooms. [I’m looking forward to resting while not traveling. Maybe… a bath before we go to bed?] With their new intimacy since their departure, there was an extra delight to the idea now which took her mind off annoying princes entirely.

As they retreated to their room, Dritz happily chatted away to Vela, who remained as quiet as usual, her hand tucked sweetly in his. He wondered idly if, could she speak aloud, she would remain so silent while they were together. It was strange but pleasant to never feel like she wasn’t listening, even when she didn’t respond. He was learning to take other cues from her body, guiding their conversation even while one wasn’t speaking.

Their room was a welcome sight after so long. Of course, they had already dropped their things off, but they hadn’t stuck around too long, so finally getting in and knowing they would be staying for the next night, without leaving, was bliss.

Vela’s suggestion sounded anything but relaxing, however. Dritz’s antennae rose in a low arc as he looked her over with a slight smirk. “Well, what a suggestion! One that I would be a damn fool to pass up,” he said silkily, kissing her gently.

From Dritz’s reaction, Vela knew her suggestion was very well received. She kissed him back, but wasted no time in leading him into the bathroom, where the clean bathtub awaited them. The staff at Hesperus was dutiful, she noted offhandedly, having already been in to remove the dust that would have accumulated since they left.

Leaning over the edge of the tub, she used the handles to adjust the temperature the way Dritz had taught her, making it hot but not too hot, and adding the mixture for the bubbling soap which she found so enjoyable. She was aware of the Chrysalan’s eyes on her, followed closely by his hands, making her turn back to him with a fond but slightly teasing smile.

Slowly she began to remove her tunic, finding he was eager to assist her in the matter. Once her leggings also lay on the floor, she began tugging at his clothes to help him, her hands sliding across his skin in a way that betrayed her own eagerness.

However, at that point she stopped and eyed the tub critically. [How do we get in together?] she signed, not having considered that part yet.

Soon the bathroom was filled with the soft, sweet smell of the soap, and a warm haze of steam. Vela’s pale skin shimmered in the light, and Dritz couldn’t keep from laying his hands on her shoulders, brushing his fingers around to the small of her back before glancing at the bath as though he was only just noticing the tub.

“Hm. Well…” He hopped in, slipping into the water and taking her hand, pulling her in after him. He arranged her so she was kneeling between his legs, facing him, and brought her to rest against his chest. “How is this, flower? I’m thoroughly prepared to play around until we get it right,” he said slyly.

Vela quickly decided there was not much nicer than her current situation. There simply couldn’t be. The water was warm, the air itself was warm, and she was resting against Dritz, the softest and warmest individual she could imagine; she wouldn’t want to imagine anyone else.

Unable to sign properly, she simply nodded, raising herself up a little in order to put her arms around his shoulders and kiss him softly, bringing a new and even more satisfying feeling of warmth to her body. His hands were brushing down her back again, and the added sensation of the water on them was somehow more pleasurable than she might have imagined. They continued to kiss as she moved again, feeling almost unable to stop herself.

-

The water had cooled off a bit, most of the soap having disappeared, by the time they left the tub. Vela took one of the towels and gently began to work at drying Dritz’s body, even though she was currently dripping on the floor, which seemed to amuse him at the same time as he enjoyed it. They were both still a little flushed, she noticed, which was perhaps not surprising at all.

Dritz was chewing on his lower lip as Vela gently swept the towel over him. She seemed to be paying special attention to his stomach, which only served to amuse him. He grabbed another towel from the rail and opened it with a flourish, wrapping it around her shoulders as he kissed her forehead. “You’re dripping everywhere,” he sighed exaggeratedly, “Whatever will we do with you?”

He scooped her up in the towel, gently starting to dry her off and whispering, “I don’t want you to get cold.”

With a flirtatious smile, he carried her through to the bedroom, laying her on the bed and carefully drying her hair, following each brush of the towel with a gentle kiss to where it had been.

Vela shivered a little as Dritz spoke to her, though she was not actually cold. It was more of a pleasant feeling, having enjoyed a wonderful time and being sure there was more to come.

He carried her to the bed and set her down with the utmost care, beginning to dry the parts of her hair that had gotten wet, and she smiled as he kissed her at the same time. She would have never suspected this before, but it seemed she enjoyed being taken care of to a certain extent. Once they were both dry and the towels discarded on the floor to be picked up later, Vela lay facing Dritz on her side, though turned just enough so both arms were free to sign.

[We’ll take another bath tomorrow night?] Her motions were lazy, as she still felt incredibly warm and relaxed. [I’m sure we’ll need one, after dealing with Fera. Is it possible to take too many baths?] She hoped not. Taking her right hand, she traced her fingers along Dritz’s collarbone and trailed them lower down his chest, enjoying how vibrant his skin appeared next to hers, as she usually did.

To his own surprise, Dritz let out an involuntary string of happy chirps as he relaxed under Vela’s gentle touch. He laced his fingers with hers, smiling lazily.

“There is no such thing as too many baths, flower,” he beamed, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her fingertips. He groaned, which crumpled into a slight giggle, “We’re definitely gunna need some serious relaxation after time with our very, very favourite royalty.”

He leaned up, propping himself on one elbow and stroked her jawline gently, his gaze trailing over her before he shifted closer and kissed her.

“For now, though, we won’t think about that, hm?”

[Good.] Vela returned the kiss before resting on her back, smiling up at him as he leaned slightly over her. [The sounds you make are very… cute,] she signed, changing the subject immediately and trying out a word which was still new for her. [I wish I could say more, make more sounds. I’ll practice soon.]

“Driss,” she tried softly, thinking the ’t’ and 'z’ were almost there now. [What should we think about instead?] Reaching up, she traced a finger over his lips and then placed it on her own, a form of indirect kiss which could be used when it was too cold to have skin exposed on Aurctas, though she hadn’t thought of the motion in a long time. And it was difficult to think of not being able to be unclothed, at the moment.

Dritz shook his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but it was flattering to him that she found the noises he made to be cute. He smiled, further colour coming to his cheeks when she traced his lips.

“I… really like how you pronounce my name,” he mumbled, clearly amused by it, but in such a way that it was clear he found it incredibly endearing. Her voice was soft and hesitant, and so pleasant the rare times he got to hear it. With a quick kiss to her forehead, his smile turned more playful, “Maybe we could think about our lovely bath instead.”

He leaned down again and kissed her neck where it joined her shoulder, and down to her collarbone.


	24. Reluctance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fera is back and he is a jerk.

After such a slow and relaxing evening, Vela was almost ready to forgive the fact that they would need to see Fera the next day. After all, it wasn’t necessary to think about it until they had gone through a day of unpacking and visiting several offices to be sure their continued presence on the station was still secured. She had no idea where someone like a prince would spend his own day, but knowing he was somewhere did make her look over her shoulder more than once while they were out of their rooms.

With dinner over and the time of the meeting approaching, however, Vela was finding herself a little grumpy at the prospect. It would be a nicer time without having to deal with this. Currently she was sitting and watching Dritz select what he was going to wear; she was only wearing one of her regular, shapeless black tunics with leggings. [I don’t want to make this special,] she had explained to Dritz with the slightest frown.

Dritz gave Vela a sheepish smile, moving over to where she was sitting and stroking her face. “Well, every day with you is special to me,” he said, almost triumphantly, as though he was proving a point, but what that point actually was… well, it was anyone’s guess.

Returning to his clothes, which were laid out over the back of a chair, Dritz tapped his chin. He was trying to choose between a high collared pastel blue shirt (one of the most formal things he had), and a more casual sweater with hazy stripes. He wasn’t particularly trying to make the occasion special, but it did feel as though he ought to make something of an effort, trying to think of it like he would when meeting a family member’s partner for the first time. Orion had the potential to be a very close friend.

“I dunno, I’m putting too much thought into this, aren’t I?” he said with a grimace, looking over his shoulder at Vela, who seemed pretty amused, despite how her mood had been regarding seeing the prince. “I’ll just go with the sweater, yeah?”

In the back of his mind, he found he secretly wanted to impress Fera, though why that might be, he sure didn’t know.

Vela gave Dritz a fond, if a touch exasperated, smile when he mentioned the days being special with her. Even if it was true, it was beside the point. Though, really… Fera couldn’t ruin the enjoyment she had while being with Dritz at all.

[The sweater,] she agreed, now amused by his lengthy deliberations. [You don’t want to make Fera think he’s special, is what I mean. But you look very handsome no matter what.] She had actually come to find she thought this was true, and would enjoy his appearance no matter what anyone else might say.

Finally ready to leave, it seemed they might arrive at the hologarden a little late. Vela had no problems with this, especially considering Fera was not going to be expecting them anyway. The sight of the garden once again did make her pause in wonder, even having spent time on real planets with real foliage.

Everywhere there were trees with long, long branches that weren’t stiff at all like the usual trees she had seen. Instead they flowed straight to the ground, also having long leaves which fluttered and waved in a simulated breeze. It seemed to produce a faint sighing sound which was altogether pleasant, and Vela forgot about irritating princes again.

[Do you know what these are?] she signed excitedly to Dritz, a genuine smile lighting up her face.

Snorting with laughter, Dritz agreed to making sure Fera didn’t think he had made any specific preparations on his behalf. He found himself unable to fight the delighted grin on his face as he was informed that he looked very handsome no matter what. He had always thought of himself as very handsome.

His decisions on what to wear had slowed them just a little, but there was no pink haired scowling waiting for them at the entrance to the gardens, so he figured it was probably alright for the moment. Turning, he spotted Vela gazing at the long branches of the new trees. He’d heard some folk from Earth talking about them before. Now, what were they called…

“Whispering willows,” he said confidently, beaming. “They’re weird, huh? It’s like they got too lazy to hold their branches up properly!”

Whispering willows…? Vela tried the words out in her head, thinking they sounded funny, but kind of nice. She made a note to herself to look up more information about the trees later.

Briefly distracted by wondering how it would feel to touch them, she almost didn’t hear a familiar voice coming from further in the garden. Almost. She froze momentarily, but the voice was coming toward them, and her chance to turn around and leave (though she wouldn’t) was soon gone.

“…there really isn’t anything interesting about this. And the technology is so dated. Coronus can produce much better in terms of holograms. I don’t see why you-”

The voice had stopped, because the owner had come into view and spotted Vela and Dritz. Prince Fera certainly looked much the same, dressed all in elegant white with his pink hair currently flowing about his shoulders, but his expression was not one they had seen before.

It was a look of shock, or almost horror, but Vela wasn’t sure. His eyes had gone wide and his chest was heaving slightly as though he was having difficulty catching his breath. Pointing straight at them, in a high pitched voice he exclaimed, “Where do you think you’ve been!?”

Dritz had been reaching to touch the hologram, as though he had forgotten that his hand would simply pass through the shimmering projection, when he felt his blood run cold at the shrill voice behind them. He, unlike Vela, had not noticed the voice before it became one of high pitched horror.

He turned with an innocent, charming smile, “Prince Fera?! You look lovely today. It’s so, so nice to see you.” He quickly swept an arm around Vela, leading her closer, but not too close.

“How have you been, Your Highness?” he asked with a wide grin that didn’t reach his pained gaze, which he briefly flickered to Orion.

It had seemed an interesting request, likely a romantic gesture, which Orion seemed so fond of: a visit to the hologardens. Fera had never been there, but definitely had no particular motivation to go in the past. As he had said, Coronus had much more complex technology which would absolutely put that of Hesperus Alpha to shame. But he had come along, and likely for no other reason than to spend time with the human and to see that fond smile of his, much to Fera’s dismay. He should not be so attached to someone, or so he thought.

But there, all of a sudden, to absolutely ruin the moment, were Dritz and V… something. It was definitely V-something, that strange female from Aurctas who could only talk with her hands in a way which Fera was nothing but suspicious of. What if she was cursing him? Cursing a prince would bring a huge fine, and he would have to tell her that. If he could get up the courage to. Being cursed was no light matter, whether whoever did it was fined or not.

Dritz was acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary, as though not almost a whole year had passed since they last crossed paths. Fera marched right up to him, ignoring the other one, and scowled bitterly. “Don’t ignore my question. You can’t just come up to me and expect flattery will make me forget. Usually.”

Taking a step back, he looked down his nose at the Chrysalan. “I’m not answering any questions until you answer mine. Where have you been, exactly? You had acquired my services for protection for the Aurian. Whatever happened to that? Do you think the Merrgani have given up already?”

Vaguely he was aware of Orion standing behind him, likely trying to figure out what was going on. Explanations could wait, especially when he was so frustrated.

“We,” Dritz explained with a wide grin, “have been to Trelos on business.” He glanced around the assembled group, awaiting any further questions for all of three seconds before turning back to Fera, “Your services? Your Highness didn’t seem to want to keep any sort of ‘contract’ with us, so we were under the impression that you had dismissed us. The Merrgani have likely not given up, so us being away for a while may have helped.”

He leaned around Fera to greet Orion with a warm slap on the shoulder, “And how are you on this… engineered-to-be-fine day, my friend?”

Mouth slightly open, Fera listened to Dritz in a further state of shock. How had he been vague about protecting the pair of them?! Though… to be honest, maybe he had been a bit brusque. Or given the wrong impression to protect his reputation, as so often happened. He had thought it would be fine, but then they had disappeared without warning, somewhere beyond the range of his tracking device. Which was far, indeed. Not that he had worried about them, of course. He only thought of them every now and then, wondering where they had gone, or if they had found and destroyed the device, which he had given up checking signals on a matter of months ago.

“Trelos?” he demanded. “Where is that?”

But Dritz had leaned around to greet Orion, going so far as to slap him on the shoulder and address him as friend!

“What?” Fera hissed, pushing back around to the human’s side and grabbing his arm protectively. “You don’t know him, don’t act so familiar! And certainly don’t touch him, you-”

“Fera,” Orion sighed, gently extracting himself. “Listen, I should have told you before we came here. I do know Dritz and Vela, I met them before I met you, here on the station. They’re good people, and helped me when I was down on my luck. I didn’t know whether you would agree to come if I told you about them, but I see I was wrong. The relationship between you all is deeper than I knew about.”

“You- you-” Fera stammered, horrified, chest beginning to heave again. “I suppose you are all against me. Is this a trap? Have you all set me up? I can defend myself!”

All he was actually thinking about doing was storming off in a huff, but they didn’t need to know that. Orion was shaking his head, looking to Dritz for help, and the Vela was acting strangely detached, staring at the trees as though the rest didn’t much concern her. Fera glared at Dritz as though daring him to speak again. But if they really were against him…

Dritz turned a gentle gaze to Fera, looking almost hurt, “Hey, whatever you think of us, I’ve never hurt anyone, let alone my friends. Which you and Orion are. And please, do not suggest Vela would ever do anything of the sort either.” He glanced between the other two, vaguely aware of Vela to his side, examining the faux foliage. In any other situation, he would be quietly (or perhaps loudly) gushing over how utterly adorable that was. As it happened, he was just slightly too upset to concentrate on her endearing awe, and resolved to contemplate her later on.

“Listen, us and Ori, we met a little while back. Helped him out, got to chatting. It was great, I think we hit it off pretty quickly. You have a lovely partner here, prince. Even if you don’t trust my word, trust his. Come on,” Dritz sighed. He looked at Orion desperately, “Maybe we could find somewhere quiet, and we can explain how we all met? Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Despite himself, Fera could feel himself calming the longer Dritz spoke. Any praise for Orion was fine with him, as long as it was being acknowledged they were a couple. And there was no actual reason for him to distrust any of them. Along with Orion’s soft and pleading look asking him to agree, one hand now resting against his back… Well, he couldn’t say no, at this point.

“Nice,” Fera repeated, pouting just the same. “Lovely, I’m sure.” He let himself be guided along by Orion as they all walked on in search of a more quiet corner of the gardens with fewer patrons. Once a suitable area was found, Fera cringed back from the idea of sitting on the floor, but Orion offered his jacket and that was slightly more tolerable. He arranged himself fussily on top of it, legs folded to one side, sliding his eyes quickly away to see the Vela sit so close to Dritz as they leaned against one of the support pillars. Perhaps she had him under some kind of spell, which might be fascinating to learn about later on.

“Explain,” he demanded sharply, not about to let any of them off so easily until he was satisfied.

“Well,” Orion began with the slightest sigh, “I had come to Hesperus on a job offer, one that turned out to be false. Some lowlife having fun at my expense. But I’d used the last of my fuel to get here, didn’t have any credits, any food, was having problems with my ship… I happened to run into Dritz and Vela. They offered to assist with the ship repair, then helped me with fuel and a bit to eat along the way. I said I’d return someday to try to repay them and… here they are. Wasn’t sure I would find them, it was just a coincidence I ran into them where I was eating last night. This wouldn’t be so awkward for you right now if you’d just come along.”

Fera ignored the last part, not regretting a decision to stay out of some low-class eatery. He folded his arms and shifted his glare to Dritz, still ignoring the Vela, as intent as ever on the trees above her. Though, actually… that was a little disturbing, too.

“I suppose that’s a… charming story. And maybe now you can explain how you ran off after I said I’d offer my protection against the Merrgani, making me think you’d been captured, or… or killed.” Immediately he regretted saying this, as it showed he might actually care what happened to them. Which was absolutely not true.

He shifted his angry gaze to the same tree the Vela was looking at, though jerked it away just as quickly. What if she was cursing the hologram to curse him through it?

Of course Dritz took Vela’s hand immediately, lacing their fingers together. What was wrong with trying to make the most of them being in the hologardens together, even if they also had company? Of course, he also took notice of Orion being a complete gentleman and laying his jacket out for Fera. Dritz contemplated doing the same for Vela, but had the strangest feeling the Aurian would not enjoy that the idea came from something related to Fera. That, and he knew how she liked the simulated grass.

Poor Orion was definitely trying, he could see.

“It would have definitely been nice to see you there last night,” Dritz added in a lightheartedly chiding tone. His expression softened, but he couldn’t help the slightest pang of victory. Or something similar.

“You were worried about us, Your Highness?” he asked, putting one hand to his chest, “I’m so flattered! We like you too.”

After a beat, he nodded, “Well… I don’t know that it’s my place to explain on her behalf, so perhaps you’d like to ask Vela your questions about why we decided to leave for Trelos?”

Fera turned his head haughtily at the suggestion that he should have gone the previous evening, though turned back again quickly at what Dritz said next. “No!” he snapped. “I wasn’t worried about you in the slightest. Why should I be?”

When faced with having to ask the Vela his questions, however… he faltered for a time. His eyes darted back and forth as though he wasn’t sure where to look before settling on a space a short distance above her head. “Ah… well. Why did you go to Trelos… wherever that is.” His mumbling awkwardness was out of character for him, and he could feel Orion’s gaze, distinctly amused, which made him flush with an irritated heat. How was he supposed to trust that she couldn’t steal his soul if he looked right at her strange signing?

On her part, Vela was fine with Fera’s apparent discomfort with her. It might mean he would leave her alone more. She regarded him soberly, signing right at him because it made him look even more uncomfortable when she did, though it did mean Dritz had to lean around to see her properly. [We went because I would like to consider Trelos as a new home for the Aurians. We had talks with one of their leaders and made some progress, but it will need some time for them to accept the idea, if they do. Next we will need to visit Aurctas to convince my people, and Chrysala to obtain some further assistance. Dritz has been kind enough to agree to help with the entire process.] She couldn’t help but give him a fond glance, reaching to clasp his hand again once she had finished what she wanted to say.

“And what was that?” Fera demanded of Dritz, finding it far more convenient to have to address someone else. “Don’t leave anything out.”

Pleased, Dritz had sat back to survey the situation unfolding, but soon realised he could not see Vela’s signing properly from where he was, and leaned forward, watching her closely. Her praise for him caused a far wider grin than he had previously held, and he kissed her hand gently before turning to Fera.

He took his time, signing exactly as she had, since Fera didn’t seem to trust the Aurian’s words, “We went because Vela wanted to consider Trelos as a new home for her people. We had talks with one of their leaders and made some progress, but it will need some time for them to accept the idea, if they do-” He turned to Vela and added, “Which I think they will. Next we need to visit Aurctas to convince them, and then to Chrysala for further assistance.”

Preening a bit, he added, “The last part was about me being helpful.”

As helpful as the explanation was, Fera couldn’t help but think about how he could do without displays of affection between the Chrysalan and the Aurian. It wasn’t that they were bad to look at, but he had by now halfway convinced himself the Vela had some form of mind control over Dritz. Maybe he was only able to learn this strange language after she had worked her strange magic over him…

“Oh. Well. That’s interesting.” Fera managed to sound completely unconcerned, though it was the slightest bit interesting. “But I don’t see why I wasn’t told first. I’m the most important, after all, and it makes sense to tell me, when I specifically said-”

To his dismay, Orion began to speak, though it was in a gentle way which didn’t sound annoyed. “Prince, I hate to inform you, but you’re not the center of the universe. Coronus, maybe, when you’re there. And my own personal universe, well…” He seemed to realize he was indulging in romantic talk again, quickly clearing his throat while Fera pretended to glare. “But my point is, Vela and Dritz are free to do as they like. Maybe they misunderstood how invested you were in their protection. And this is a very serious thing, the Aurians are suffering and need a new home. You understand, don’t you?”

Fera grit his teeth slightly for a moment, knowing it made sense, but not liking to be told he wasn’t the most important ever. “I guess I do,” he said with a loud sigh, readjusting himself atop Orion’s jacket. “But now what? You don’t need my protection, you’ve got your own tasks to attend to, why are we even here? We have nothing to do with each other.” Thinking he had a real, legitimate point, he gave Orion a triumphant look, only to be dismayed to see the human merely shaking his head.

“Well?” he demanded of Dritz next, thinking he would receive a better answer.

Without realising, Dritz had leaned forward again, lacing his fingers in Vela’s and stroking her hand, and was regarding the two men with a look of pure adoration. For all his deep flaws (hey, everyone has 'em, after all), Fera was actually cute in the context of Orion. They fit together in a pleasing way, visually and seemingly emotionally. He was smiling warmly at them both, but his reverie was quickly stifled and he blinked at the pink haired prince.

“Well… I was under the impression that we were friends. We’re hanging out, aren’t we? Y'know… spending time with each other? Like what you do with friends?” the Chrysalan said, his gaze completely disbelieving. “I mean… is that not what this is? You were worried about us enough to be mad at us for being alive, and I can’t speak for Vela, but I think this is quite nice. Or it could be.” At that moment he looked pointedly at Fera, as if to add if you took the salt out of your tone.

With a playful wave of his free hand, he added, “And anyway, even if you don’t care to be here, Ori does.”

“This wasn’t my idea!” Fera bristled immediately, sitting up absolutely straight. “I was tricked into coming here to spend time with you. Unless that’s your idea of being friends. And I don’t think this is nice, not at all. This dated technology-” he paused to gesture around “-and the theme is frankly quite boring. What’s the use of a holographic garden, exactly? Who needs plants, especially fake ones? And another thing, I wasn’t worried about you. I told you that. Not in the slightest.”

“Listen, Fera-” Orion began earnestly, already reaching out as though to try soothing him through touch. But he didn’t feel like having any of it, for now.

“No,” he cut in abruptly, getting to his feet with a graceful motion. “You heard Dritz. You like being here. So you can have it.” He turned on his heel to saunter away with what he felt was reasonable confidence, aware he was making a scene, but enjoying it at the same time as almost feeling… bad. But he wasn’t normal, not like the rest of them. They might not actually need him around, anyway.

Meanwhile, Orion seemed to have temporarily given up, sitting with his legs crossed and elbows propped against them, resting his head in his hands a few moments. “I’m sorry,” he muttered to Dritz and Vela. “I’m really, really sorry. I guess I thought it would go better…”

Dritz frowned for a brief moment before hopping to his feet. He looked apologetically at the two of them, “Sorry, I can’t just… I mean… I’ll be back in a second. Promise!”

He jogged up behind Fera, tapping him gently on the shoulder, “Hey, wait a sec, please?” He fell into step next to the Coronal, doing his best to keep up, looking equally apologetic towards him, “I’m sorry, okay? I was just being silly. You go if you like, but I wasn’t joking about it being nice to see you. When you’re not being so spikey, you’re pretty good company. I’m sorry if I upset you, 'k? But, look…. when you’re rude to Vela, I get a bit spikey myself. So yeah, I’m sorry.” He offered Fera a goofy grin, already taking a step back, “We good? Good. Okay, cool, see ya later?”

He gave a quick wave, turning and jogging back to the others and plopping back down next to Vela. “Sorry, I didn’t want him to go without apologising. I didn’t mean to upset him so much,” he chuckled, settling. What was it they had been saying before he ran off? “Don’t be sorry, we’ll work on him. There’s probably something going on we don’t know about, or maybe he was just looking forward to the two of you being alone?”

If that were the case, Fera and Vela would be more similar than they thought.

Orion watched with a small amount of dismay as Dritz went after Fera, though it was likely just to apologize. He knew better than to go after the prince himself, for now, as he wouldn’t be welcome until he had calmed further.

“It’s probably nothing you did specifically, but thank you for trying to talk to him,” Orion said with a sigh. He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the simulated blue sky above him and thinking a while. “He probably ignored you for the most part? That’s what I thought. Like I’ve said before… he’s really, really not so bad. But it’s hard to see that sometimes. And it might have been he was thinking we’d be alone, yeah.” It had definitely been a mistake not to tell Fera that Dritz and Vela would be waiting for them, but there was no real way to have known that prior.

“We do need to work on him, I agree. As long as you’re up for it? It would mean a lot to me. I’ve learned a bit about him while we’ve been together. See…” Orion frowned heavily, finding it was still difficult to think about. “As a prince on Coronus, life was very… different. Royalty aren’t treated the way everyone else is. They’re free to talk among themselves, and talk as much as they want to anyone else… But commoners aren’t allowed to talk to them. I think Fera’s been very lonely for years, and is definitely over-privileged, so once he got away from Coronus he didn’t know how to behave around regular folk like us.” His frown turned into a wry smile. “Sometimes he finds a delight in manipulating or being rude to others, but it doesn’t extend to his heart. He has a good heart, but doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Probably thinks it’s a sign of weakness.”

Shaking his head, he poked one finger at a blade of fake grass, watching it go straight through. “The real problem is, how do we get him to change? I mean, he doesn’t have to change completely. If I’m being honest, there’s a sort of humor in his sarcasm at times. And he wouldn’t be Prince Fera if he wasn’t at least a little fussy.” He realized his fondness was showing again, but shrugged it off this time. “I want us all to be friends, because I like it when we’re together. I’ve never stayed somewhere long enough to have been in a group of friends like this. I wonder if there’s even any way.”

He snuck a glance at the others, seeing Dritz was very intent on his every word, while Vela was still watching the trees, though with her head tilted in a manner which gave away her attention. There was an extra awkwardness between the Aurian and Coronal which he couldn’t put his finger on at the moment, but that was a sort of lesser problem for now. At least Vela wasn’t completely disinterested.

The prince of Coronus had indeed ignored him, Orion was of course correct. It seemed a bit over the top, but Dritz supposed he himself wasn’t exactly reasonable when he was hurt and frustrated either, so let it slide.

“Of course. Thing is, there’s only so much of him being rude to Vela that I can tolerate,” Dritz said seriously, snaking a hand around Vela’s slim waist and pulling her near. “I want us all to be friends. He needs to work on how he treats her.”

The Chrysalan soon quietened and listened with increasing emotion. He felt for Fera, with such an isolating start in life, and thought once more that he and Orion were definitely a good fit for one another, hoping the scruffy human would inject a little of his own good nature into the prince.

“Maybe… Maybe he could spend time with each of us separately? Doing something he likes? When is he most relaxed, mebbe we could be part of that?” he asked with a shrug, hoping something better came to him soon.

“Understandable,” Orion said with a fond smile, watching Dritz pull Vela close to him. She nestled against his side in a way that seemed unconcerned with the situation, and did not offer any input. He had the suspicion that she could take care of herself when it came to Fera, but he didn’t want to make light of the Chrysalan’s concerns.

“I think we can all be friends. Starting slowly is definitely a key. Fera is… picky. I dunno that’s a strong enough word. He doesn’t have hobbies, as such… He’s very fond of fashion. I wish he’d look at me the way he looks at expensive clothing, sometimes,” he added with a semi-joking chuckle. “I’m not sure if he’d enjoy a shopping trip with you, but… maybe.” Orion found himself laughing again. “He also likes to visit clubs, which I guess could be considered a hobby which I could do with him liking less. But he does enjoy it. You should see him dance…” Lost in the thought of that for a moment, he cleared his throat as he came out of his reverie. “But he also will drink quite a lot there. He’s, uh… a lot more relaxed when he’s had a few drinks. I’d just kind of hate to have him near drunk every time we hang out.”

Shaking his head a second time, he looked back toward Dritz again. “It could be an option for the next time we’re all together, though? At least once or twice, so he’s a little more mellow. In the meantime, uh… you could ask him if he wants to visit the fashion district with you alone? You have pretty different tastes, but.. I think he enjoys looking at anything.” For some reason he also thought Dritz enjoyed fashion, but that was only because every time he saw the Chrysalan he was wearing a different brightly-colored outfit in strange combinations which oddly seemed to work for him.

“Oh yeah?” Dritz asked slyly, eyeing Orion as his mind had clearly wandered to a softly lit room where Fera was dancing for him. He chuckled. He could certainly imagine how good Fera might look while dancing; his body was long and lithe, and he clearly had the grace to make it alluring. A quiet part of his mind replaced the thought of Fera’s dance to one of Vela dancing in a similar fashion.

“Well, we definitely have something in common! I’ve noticed a couple of parts of his ensembles that I’d consider for myself,” he giggled, “But in different colours. Of course.” He smirked, running a hand through his hair as he listened.

He beamed at the suggestion, nodding eagerly, “Aaaah, that would be great. I don’t know if he’ll want to shop with me, but if you think it’d be a good idea, then I definitely would enjoy that. Considering it’s only a station, Alpha has some really nice, upscale places that I can see him enjoying. Of course, I don’t usually go anywhere near those ones!”

“Alright, good,” Orion said in relief, glad to have the idea so easily accepted by Dritz. For the first time that night it felt like he was beginning to relax. “Well, if he doesn’t jump at the idea, I’ll work on him. But maybe you’d do better to ask him first instead of me, based on tonight. Maybe the mention of clothes will be enough. He has a real genuine sort of enthusiasm about shopping,” he added with a slight laugh. “I think it might make him more relaxed around you, even if not right away.”

He looked at Vela thoughtfully, still unable to tell what was going on in her mind. It could be surprisingly difficult when someone couldn’t talk out loud, he was discovering. “I know Fera is generally rude to everyone a lot of the time,” he said to her. “But there’s this extra emotion behind the way he treats you. Fear, almost? Except… I’m not sure why that’d be. Anyway, it would be impossible for the two of you to spend time alone together when he can’t understand your signing, and probably wouldn’t have the patience for reading everything typed out. So I don’t know what to do there.”

[He doesn’t like me,] Vela signed simply. [It doesn’t matter much to me.] She almost added “I don’t like him either,” but thought that would be unfair for Dritz to have to translate. Despite her issues with the Coronal, she didn’t want either Dritz or Orion to be upset further.

“Well, we’ll probably have to wait for a while to get him to agree to even speak to e again so soon, but maybe when he’s in a more amicable mood… Or he might even be in a more amicable mood once we suggest it! I think I’ll have a good time, I just hope he does too,” Dritz said with a comically exaggerated grimace.

He translated for Orion, pouting slightly in sympathy for Vela. “The language barrier is awkward. It’s not fair to them for me to be there to translate everything either, otherwise that would be my suggestion. Fera either doesn’t trust me to be telling him the truth, or he doesn’t trust Vela to not be able to speak aloud.” The Chrysalan shrugged, sighing.

“But… How could anyone be afraid of you?” he asked, turning to Vela in surprise. “You’re my cute little flower! We’ll help him see that.”

[He doesn’t like my signing either,] Vela guessed. [He won’t really look at it.] Whether that was out of fear, Vela didn’t know, but in a way it was nice to have some sort of control over Fera. She didn’t think it would bother her if he never became friendly with her, though obviously Dritz and Orion would like him to. Something she wouldn’t be signing out was that she still thought he was annoying and fairly horrible, no matter what his background might be.

“Well, we’ll think of something,” Orion said with a sigh, though he definitely seemed amused by Dritz’s pet names for Vela. “Meanwhile, I’ll make sure he’s around for you to ask about the shopping in the next few days, if possible. But speaking of manners, I’ve not asked you about what your schedules are yet. I know you’re wanting to head back to Aurctas and Chrysala and all that, and I’d hate to get in the way.”

[We can’t go yet,] Vela signed slowly. She hadn’t discussed this topic yet with Dritz, but she supposed now was as good a time as any to bring it up. [Actually… I think we’ll need more credits than what we have. The trip to Trelos was expensive. I had a lot of credits, but not enough for living expenses along with three trips to different planets, I suppose.] They were in no danger of running out soon, but the future did need to be planned for, and they definitely needed more to make it to Aurctas. She looked at Dritz sadly, knowing he would have to propose the course of action for obtaining more credits. What could she do personally to help? She thought she had no specific skills to speak of.

“Yeah, I dunno what that could possibly mean,” Dritz said, turning to engage Vela with a look of exaggerated confusion, “Almost a little… y'know, xenophobic? I mean… it’s how you speak. So weird.” Without thinking much, he gave Vela a firm kiss on the forehead, smiling, “We’ll get you two on speaking terms.”

He had been about to answer Orion, but the movement to his side stopped him and he looked at Vela. “Ah, really? Uh oh.” He turned back. “It seems we’ll be on the station for a while longer, anyway! Fine by me, I could do with flexing my muscles a bit, keep all my repair knowledge fresh in the mind and all that! Vela and I don’t have enough funds to make it to any of our next destinations yet, so we’ll be around while we earn. Maybe it’ll be a good chance for all four of us to get to know each other a little better.”

He cuddled the Aurian against him, shaking his head at her. Much as he liked Orion, it wasn’t the time to properly reassure Vela, and so he would need to talk through their plans with her privately.

“Well,” Orion replied with a slight smile. “I can assure you that whatever else Prince Fera is, he’s not xenophobic. Not that you were accusing him of it, but it looks that way on the surface in this case. It must be something else, I’ll try to figure it out in the meantime.”

He leaned back again, watching the pair in front of him with amusement. He almost envied how easily they got along and how comfortable they were in their behavior toward each other. “I’ve said it before, but you two are much too adorable together. But yeah, that sounds good. Making some money is what I’m aiming to do for now, as well. In fact I’ve already scouted out a few places, if you’d like to come along tomorrow morning and have a look? There are multiple jobs on offer.”

Getting to his feet, he reached to touch both of them on the shoulder as they stood along with him. “With that, I think I’d better get going for the night, see where Fera’s got himself off to and let you guys talk and spend some time together. Thank you both so much for joining us here tonight, even if it didn’t work out as well as it might. It’s a start.”

Orion took his leave after they said goodbye, with Dritz promising they would be around tomorrow morning to look into getting work. They sat down near each other again, and Vela spent a long moment with her arms wrapped around the Chrysalan’s waist and her face pressed against his chest, thinking to herself.

[What should I do to earn money?] she signed earnestly when she finally pulled away. [You can find engineering work but… There’s nothing I’m skilled at. At least nothing useful on a station.] The thought had troubled her for some time now, but she had never wanted to address it because of that.

Dritz waved his free hand, “I know it’s not that, don’t worry. True xenophobia… he wouldn’t even be here. And he knows Chrysalan.” Dritz seemed to be speaking aloud to himself for a moment when he added, “Had a good dialect too, very good enunciation. It was a pleasant surprise.”

The Chrysalan’s antennae flickered gently, almost curiously as he smirked at Orion. “We are? Well… I think we are!” he laughed.

Hearing that there might be the chance to work together on jobs, Dritz perked up, looking more serious, “Oh yeah? That sounds good. We can meet you outside our building; the west tower of apartments, near the accommodation office, since I assume you’re staying here too? Unless you have a more… luxurious place to sleep now.” He gave Orion a brief wink before pulling him into a big hug, slapping his back affectionately.

With the human gone, he and Vela were left to tangle their bodies together once more, closer than ever. He cocked his head by way of response, “You wanna help me, learn some stuff? I mean, there’s usually places that need cleaning staff, cooking, waiting, small administration roles… do you fancy any of those?”

Vela nuzzled her face into Dritz’s neck momentarily, still thinking over the options. She thought she would be able to learn how to do anything, and maybe someday she would try those other jobs, but for now it might be better to stay near the Chrysalan.

[I can help you?] she asked, pulling herself away. [How would that be possible? I have no engineering skills, just enough to put my ship back together, which was very specific and old technology. I’m not sure why someone would want to hire me in addition to you.] She frowned, now beginning to fret about that as well.

[It’s possible the Merrgani are still around, somewhere. Or they could come back. If I can stay with you for now, it might be for the best. It’s hard to believe they’ve given up until we know for sure.] She waited for Dritz to explain how it might be possible for them to remain together, absently smoothing her fingers over the fabric at his waist.

“You, my darling, are tremendously intelligent and adaptable,” he said firmly, punctuating each word with a kiss, on her cheek, her forehead, her lips. “We will run through the basics together, I’ll teach you as we go, and I think you learn by doing, so we’ll get you doing the easy fixes with my instructions.”

He spread his hands with a beam, “There are very few folk looking to hire a mechanic that object to an apprentice! As far as they know, they’re just paying me, you’re helping me out. My highly important consultant on alien tech.” He winked at her.

“As for those gross fish guys, I won’t let them get anywhere near you,” he said seriously, pulling her into a big hug, burying his face in her considerably less fluffy hair. “We’ll work hard, and we’ll get outta here and back on with our mission in no time.”

Dritz’s attempts to reassure Vela and soothe her worries were just as effective as usual. It went beyond the words, to the gestures such as kissing her and holding her close. She relaxed to know they might stay together as they worked for now, and he would help keep her safe should any more trouble arise with the Merrgani. Perhaps she could have survived on her own, but Dritz made it all so much easier. There was no proper way to express her thanks for this, however.

They remained quiet a little while after he had spoken, just holding on to each other. Vela listened to Dritz’s soft breaths as she rubbed one hand up and down his back, finally pulling away to smile at him. [Thank you,] she signed, making the gesture more formal. [I would like working with you, and learning how to fix simple problems. Meanwhile, I will do more research, I think in scientific areas… I would like to come up with a better form of space travel for the Aurians. I think I can do it, rather than borrowing from other races. It’s fascinating to me.]

She felt a little shy to admit this, covering up for it by giving Dritz another lingering kiss. [The garden is beautiful, but we should go back to our rooms now. We have a bath to take before bed, after all.] Her smile was definitely more flirtatious as her hand returned to his shirt, gently tugging the hem.

“Oh yeah?” Dritz’s eyes were bright and full of excitement as he looked at her, clearly encouraged by her signs. “That… actually sounds like a great idea. I think you could really achieve something amazing for the Aurians. Is there anything I could do to help with that, maybe?” His head buzzed with hope for Vela’s people, despite how little he knew about them. He sincerely hoped they knew how hard one of their own children was willing to work to better their lives, without being pressured, or asked, and without any obligation to them, really.

Of course, his thoughts were interrupted by decidedly less scientific ones when she flashed her delightfully flirtatious smile at the mention of their bath, “Oh, you’re right… I would just hate to miss such a thing!”

He stood, offering her a hand, scooping her up into his arms when she took it.


	25. Working

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jobs are obtained!

After such a relaxing evening, Vela had been more than willing to forget the stressful time before it. Of course, it was more than likely they would see Fera again soon, but she put the thought from her mind easily enough. Mostly she was apprehensive about gaining employment now, because even if Dritz made it sound easy, she had never worked for someone in this way before and didn’t know how accepted she would actually be.

Their breakfast completed, Vela walked with Dritz to the area they had agreed upon to meet Orion, finding the human there as promised. He had a friendly smile for them in greeting, looking them over and asking if they had rested well.

“Fera is alright,” he assured them. “He only went back to the Radiant Sun after he left us last night. That’s his ship, in case you didn’t… Ah, I see you do.” His smile became awkward. “I guess he was a little upset at first, but it didn’t take me too long to calm him. He’ll have forgotten about it soon enough.” Vela wasn’t sure that was true, but she didn’t offer any input on the situation.

As they began making their way to the vast area of machine and repair shops, Vela stayed close to Dritz while listening to Orion continuing to speak. “So, Dritz, what’s your preferred area of expertise? What sort of job would you choose for yourself above any others? I mostly ask out of interest, but also to steer us toward the best sort of work for you if at all possible.”

Dritz seemed to spot Orion in the same way a hungry person would spot their favourite food; bright eyed and excited. With added tiptoes and waving.

“I’m glad Fera wasn’t too mad,” he said, folding his arms and nodding. He had thought about the pink haired Coronal, despite promising Vela that they would both forget about the incident. Much as Dritz didn’t really mind if someone disliked him, he always felt a strong desire to change their mind, and Fera was no exception. He had hoped his little apology might improve things for Orion when he reunited with his boyfriend.

As they walked, making small talk to begin with, Dritz threw an arm around Vela’s waist happily. He was looking forward to working so closely with her; it was the perfect coming together of his absolute favourite things (minus food).

“Ah, my favourites are big ship repairs; especially if the problem is weird or frustrating or something. I mean, I can do bikes and vehicles, but ships are my area, really. I know a lot more about bigger engines and the space faring side, and ships are much cooler! But of course, I’ll go where the money is,” he explained with the bright enthusiasm and seriousness he always had for his work.

“Interesting,” Orion chuckled, walking at Dritz’s other side. “It’s probably the opposite for me, which is why I needed your help that day. I can do minor repairs on a ship, but I’m really better at small vehicles. I even built a personal hoverboard with leftover junk scraps and a miniature engine core once… Of course, I had little practical use for it, but it was pretty fun.”

He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit, smiling around at the shops as he picked out the ones he thought would work best for them both, out of those he knew were looking for workers. It was practically exciting to him to be able to work along with a friend, as he had never been anywhere long enough to really make many. He had some good acquaintances on various stations, but no one who seemed to want to be around him quite so much as Dritz and Vela… and Fera, now.

“This one, I think,” he finally said, stopping in front of a door which led to an interior building. The neon sign out front read “Tramask Repairs,” and there was a smaller sign below it which listed all the services available. “Run by a couple of brothers. They’re obviously Tramask, but don’t just work on repairs for their own species. I think their language has a few difficulties in translation to Basic. Anyway, they seem a decent enough sort, pay their help very well, but you do have to be careful with maintaining politeness if you work for them. They don’t take kindly to anything they consider rude. I’ll introduce you.”

He was about to open the door when he paused and glanced back. “What about Vela? Does she have skill in engineering too?”

The Aurian began signing at him, looking a little apprehensive, and Orion turned around to give her proper attention and wait for a translation from Dritz.

“You made a hoverboard?!” Dritz yelled excitedly, “That’s amazing, Ori, do you still have it? I’d love to see!”

Dritz rambled about his own experiences with building, as well as his own experiences with hoverboards in particular. As it happened, he’d never had the guts to try using one, explaining with a chuckle that his centre of gravity might not be conducive to successful boarding. Because of his chatter, he wondered if he’d perhaps stalled their progress in finding work, but Orion didn’t seem irritated at all.

“Oooh, good stuff,” the Chrysalan mumbled as he looked over the services offered at Tramask Repairs; all things he was certain the two of them could handle, and, more importantly, that Vela could handle. He believed her to be capable, perfectly so, but it would boost her confidence in her ability to have jobs she could easily handle.

“Vela’s gunna be helping me, and learning along the way. Like an apprentice. I’m gunna do my best to show her the ropes; she’ll easily pick it up, she’s super smart,” he explained proudly.

“Ah, about the hoverboard…” Orion winced slightly, only disappointed to tell this to Dritz when he seemed so enthusiastic about it. “It was definitely buried in my belongings somewhere, but there was very little recovered from my ship after what happened to it. So…” He turned his hands up, smiling as an idea came to him. “But tell you what, someday we’ll have to build one together, just for fun. Should be able to add more mods this time with my extra knowledge, make it even better.”

Orion actually very much enjoyed Dritz’s rambling, and he could tell Vela did too, from the way she looked toward him frequently with what the human was sure was adoration on her part. In fact, he had to hold himself back from telling them how cute they were yet again. “That sounds good. I have no doubt she is, either, fixing up an old ship and flying it across the galaxy by herself,” he said with an appreciative grin.

When they finally entered the shop, however, it seemed everyone had settled into a seriousness about finding jobs. The lighting in the room beyond the door was low, but this was perfectly normal for Tramask. Their tiny eyes were sensitive to brighter light, another reason why these two needed to hire help for their business in certain situations.

“Ekul and Olos,” Orion greeted them before they even spoke, in one of their oldest known forms of greeting (translated as best as possible to Basic), “stars be your guides.”

“The human has returned,” one of them said then, nudging the other. “The one who wishes to work for us. Olos, look.”

Vela knew it was probably rude, but she couldn’t help staring at the Tramask when they were finally facing forward. They were standing behind a long counter cluttered with many small machines, meaning their lower bodies were obscured from sight at present, but what there was to see was… different. They were not as humanoid as herself or anyone she kept company with, but they did definitely have heads (one each), arms (four each), and something close to hands with long fingers extending from them (though each hand carried at least a dozen of those.) Their skin looked rough and was colored a dusky sort of orange, and even though Vela could only see a mouth and not eyes or a nose, she assumed they might possess them still.

“He said he would bring others, too. See, Ekul. I think that’s a Chrysalan. We will hire them, no questions asked. Very good at machines, if the human brought them.” Both of their voices were similar, slightly raspy, and Vela wondered how they told each other apart if they were all like this, both in sound and appearance, and with what seemed like poor eyesight.

“But what’s this? I don’t know what this is. Olos, what is it? Who is it?” With a start, Vela realized they were talking about her. There was nothing she could do to make herself known, so she could only wait until someone else spoke for her.

The Tramask pair were not… Too odd to Dritz. He felt certain he had encountered one or two without really knowing who they were, probably in a bar or somewhere similar, but as he had never really heard them speak, he found their odd way of addressing strangers just slightly unnerving. Like they were somehow insulting them, despite having said nothing to that end.

“Stars be your guides,” Dritz copied, smiling graciously. “If I might offer an introduction? This is Vela, my assistant, and my name is Dritz. We look forward to working with you both. Ah, an explanation, as well; Vela is an Aurian, and communicates with sign language which i am happy to translate for you.” He grinned as he looked between them, “And I thank you for the faith you’ve shown in Chrysalans, my friends. It will not go unrewarded!”

“An assistant?” Olos repeated, seeming to fixate on that part first. “We can’t pay for an assistant.”

“We never met an Aurian before. Never seen one. No reputation; we can’t know what they will do. Risky,” Ekul said as though continuing his brother’s thoughts.

“Listen, I can vouch for her,” Orion spoke up, stepping toward the counter. “There’s nothing to worry about. She’s with Dritz, and aren’t Chrysalans trustworthy? And she put together an old ship from her planet and got it to fly all the way to Alpha, no short journey, which shows she has the capability of great things. There’s no risk to simply allowing her to assist Dritz in his work.”

The Tramask were quiet for long moments, but Vela got the feeling they were somehow still communicating. “No,” Olos said shortly. “No assistants. No Aurians. We don’t know them.”

“Risk is still there,” Ekul continued. “We have heard of many species, but not this ‘Aurian.’ There is no reputation to trust. We will hire the Chrysalan and human only. It is your choice.”

Vela stepped back, not even thinking it was worth signing anything. Dritz and Orion would have to work without her, and she would accept it even though a part of her hurt more than she would have imagined it might to be treated this way.

“You would only be paying myself; Vela is simply here to learn from myself and Orion,” Dritz insisted with a forced smile, though he could already see that it was in vain. “Aurians are new to space travel, and Orion speaks the truth; Vela rebuilt and calibrated her own ship, then piloted it single-handedly here! Now that’s someone I’d totally hire, in a heartbeat!”

Despite his pleas, he could see that the Tramask were not impressed by this. He thought about pointing out how unfair it was to distrust someone based solely on their 'recognisable’ race, how much they would lose business if that was their attitude, but he could see that Vela was no longer comfortable with the situation, and while he kept his expression neutral, his antennae had stiffened, betraying his frustration. How dare they make her feel bad.

He cleared his throat and, with a gracious bow, said, “It is a shame you aren’t willing to give her a chance, but I understand your reservations. Please keep us in mind, friends. Thank you for your time.”

He gave Orion a good-natured shrug as he put his arm around Vela, “We’ll look elsewhere, but we can meet for lunch or something, whenever you get a break, huh?”

Orion led them out of the shop, giving the Tramask a nod of farewell, but also feeling he must look visibly upset by what had happened. They stopped again by one of the outer streets, and he turned to Vela and Dritz with a sad expression. “Yeah, we’ll look again this afternoon. I have a small job to finish, but I’ll be done by lunch and we can meet up by the main square.” He paused, sighing heavily. “Listen, I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t think they would have a problem with someone of an unfamiliar species. And it’s their loss; they don’t know what they’re missing out on by not hiring us.”

Clapping Dritz on the shoulder, then touching Vela’s more gently and with a sympathetic smile, Orion turned the corner and disappeared from view. Vela glanced at Dritz and then away again, moving herself in order to sign.

[I’m sorry.] Maybe she didn’t have anything to apologize for, but she felt as though she had to. [You and Orion could have easily gotten a well-paying job, they wanted you right away. If I hadn’t been there, of course. I can understand how anyone might not trust me… they have nothing to base trust on. If you want to go back instead, without me, that would be alright.]

She could say that, but she wasn’t sure it was true, that she would be alright with it. She kept her eye averted from Dritz, unwilling to bring up the disappointment which she felt much more strongly than she could have ever expected.

Dritz squeezed Orion’s shoulder with a grin before letting him go and turning to look at his flower. It was greatly disappointing for all of them, but he wondered in particular how she was faring. It would surely not be something she would just shrug off and be fine with. Even the thickest-skinned individual would never be alright with being the victim of such unfair assumptions.

“Hey, heeey, don’t you be sorry for that! Those two? Totally not who I’d wanna do business with anyway, if that’s how they treat people!” He pulled her into an embrace, moving to tip-toes to kissing the top of her head, pleased when she seemed to automatically bow to help. “Thing is, flower, they’re the ones missing out. Ori and I can get good jobs anywhere, and more importantly, we can get them with you, for fair and tolerant folk. Okay? Okay.” He punctuated his words with another kiss, this time to her forehead.

“And frankly, I stand by what I said; you can’t go through life distrusting everyone you meet who you don’t recognise. Look at their assumptions; 'cuz I’m Chrysalan, I’m automatically a good engineer? Automatically trust worthy? No way, I know there’s less than savoury Chrysalans, I’ve met a few of 'em!”

Dritz’s words made sense in ways Vela would not have considered before; then again, this was not a situation she had experience in. Traders of all types had come to Aurctas and been accepted by her people without any regard to their species. She didn’t automatically feel better about being rejected, but at least she could understand it was a difficulty she might face out in the galaxy, thankfully one which Dritz assured her wasn’t necessary to tolerate.

She let him hold her for long moments before she signed again. [Thank you. I understand. I still wish you could have gotten work there, but maybe somewhere else would be better after all. At least they were right about you being a trustworthy engineer,] she couldn’t help but add, smiling as she tilted her head up to kiss his lips.

They spent the rest of their morning wandering near all the shops as Vela familiarized herself with the area, Dritz pointing out some places he had done work for before meeting her. By the time they met Orion for lunch, her head was full of the names of various repair shops and machine stores, and she was eager for them to try again.

“Hope you guys had a good morning,” Orion said as he began leading them along to a little food stall tucked away near the middle of the main square. He seemed to sense their more relaxed mood, and was pleased they had sorted the situation out and felt better. “I find that comfort food is best at times like this. This is one of my favorites, so I hope you’ll like it.”

The stall only sold one particular item, actually: a strangely-named dish made of soft noodles with a vegetable sauce on top which could be customized to personal taste. Vela chose to have hers with sauce only, though Orion had one with added meat. “Spaghetti,” he grinned at them while they were seating themselves at a table with their bowls. “Dritz, you ever tried this? I guess you could call it sort of a classic human dish.”

Even though he had been looking forward to getting back into work, especially getting to share it with Vela, Dritz ended up really enjoying their long wandering through the stores and workshops. Hand in hand, he led her through the streets he knew, and she pointed out new places for them to go. They chatted a great deal, as they usually did, though it was mostly Dritz speaking at length with Vela occasionally slipping her hand from his to sign a reply to him. Thankfully, it seemed a lot of work was temporary, or many workers were in similar situations to themselves, so there seemed to be enough vacancies to go around, reassuringly.

When they finally sat down with Orion, Dritz having chosen the same dish as him, with added sprinklings of… some kind of cheese? It smelled awful, but when he’d tasted a small sprinkle of it on his hand (the vendor was kind enough to allow him), he’d enjoyed the strong, bitter flavour.

“I’ve never tried this! I think I’ve seen people eating it though… I’ve thought about trying it so often, but I always end up back at my favourite places,” he chuckled, scooping out some of the noodles and meat, watching with annoyance as the spaghetti simply rolled off his fork. He stabbed his cutlery into the bowl a few more times before finally spotting Orion twisting his fork before scooping it up; apparently the correct way to eat this dish. “How was your morning?”

Orion ate a little more slowly at first, allowing Dritz to see how the spaghetti was twirled around the fork for an easier method of picking it up. Vela hadn’t even been watching, but was already eating it that way when he looked. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking her cleverness wasn’t limited to just one area.

“I know, it’s easy to stick to a few set places once you’ve found what you like,” he added after downing a large forkful. “Like I said before, I’ve never been to Earth, but I still try to enjoy what I can of some of the customs. Uh… for now, that’s mostly food.” He was grinning, but couldn’t help wishing Fera was there with them. Could he imagine Fera eating spaghetti, though? Not really…

“I had a good morning,” he continued, glad to think about something else. “Actually, I was working for the station temporarily as I fixed one of their loading platforms. You know, those floating trolley things they move large amounts of luggage around with? The only reason I picked that up was due to luck: being there at the right time when their regular employee was out sick, and their backup off the station on a holiday. And while I was doing that, I ran into even more luck. I heard about a great job which should be enough work for all of us for a couple weeks. It sounds amazing, I’ll fill you in more on the way over.”

Everyone was making short work of the spaghetti, which pleased Orion that they had all enjoyed it. “It’s been a while since you’ve worked now, hasn’t it,” he remarked idly to Dritz. “Bet you’re pretty eager to get back to it. I know I get restless when I can’t tinker around with anything for a while.”

Once he was able to actually eat the weird noodles in the bowl, Dritz made very light work of them, making appreciative little noises as he finished the food off, between rambling to Orion.

As far as he was concerned, he had said, food was one of the most important things culturally. He found himself getting ever so slightly philosophical about it, pointing out how often most cultures had some sort of communal meal, a traditional dinner or dish, a particular cooking method, and so on. It was fascinating, really.

And spaghetti would definitely become a favourite of his, he was sure.

“Sounds like good jobs fall into your lap, friend! I picked the right person to get pally with,” he joked as they discussed the new job. “Will there be work for all three of us? Some kinda group project?”

Orion found himself chuckling frequently when talking to Dritz, a phenomenon which he actually rather enjoyed. “Nah, I’ve just been lucky the past couple of days. I could do with good luck much more often. But c'mon, let’s get going before anyone else finds out about our work!”

They quickly cleaned off their table as Orion continued to tell them about the job he had heard about. “Yeah, actually, it’s a group sort of project. A big ship just docked this morning and is in need of ship-wide repairs and maintenance. It’s some kind of freighter, I guess. But they went through a rough patch of space and made it all the way to the station, and now they’re in need of a lot of help. More than the three of us, I’m sure, so even if anyone else finds out about it, we should still be good. Besides, I know the repair company, and the woman who heads it up is really a great person.”

He took Dritz and Vela down to the docks then, explaining they wouldn’t be going to the shop yet because it was likely they were all down at the ship making an assessment. When the freighter actually came into view, even Orion was a little in awe of the size. They’d need at least a dozen extra workers to handle such a big ship in a timely fashion.

The ship’s name was The North Star, and they were quickly allowed access when Orion said they were looking to help with repairs. But there wasn’t much time to take in even a little of the interior before they were halted by a sudden female voice calling out from somewhere unseen in a comical fashion.

“Halt! Who goes there?” The owner of the voice came into view from inside an open panel, a bright-eyed human woman with curly silver hair and what was surely one of the friendliest faces in existence. She wiped both hands down her faded purple jumpsuit, leaving little smudges of grease behind as she laughed. “Always wanted to try that line out. Hey, Orion! Did you come for work? We have plenty of that if you want it. And you brought friends! No, don’t introduce them- I want to hear it straight from their own mouths, it would help me get a better impression of them.”

Ship-wide repairs. On a massive freighter. It almost made up for the Tramask fellas being so rude to Vela. Almost.

Of course, it wasn’t a good thing for the freighter to have gone through a significant rough patch, but Orion hadn’t mentioned any fatalities, and the ship had made its way to the station safely, allowing all three of them to get paying jobs. It was perfect.

The woman who greeted them was immediately someone Dritz wanted to get to know, with her pale hair and friendly eyes. He stepped forward with a big, goofy grin, “Hello! How lovely to meet you. Name’s Dritz.” He thrust out a hand and shook hers firmly, his smile unwavering. He turned back to Vela, not wanting to speak for her, but preparing to translate.

Dritz shook the woman’s hand, giving his greeting, to which she beamed in response. “Hello, Dritz. It’s nice to meet you! Always good to see a Chrysalan, especially one bright and cheerful.”

Her gaze shifted to Vela, who had to build a little courage before beginning to sign. This person seemed far friendlier than the Tramask, but the memory of that rejection was still fresh in her mind. [Hello. My name is Vela, and I’m from Aurctas, a planet far away that not many have heard of. I use sign language to speak, so Dritz will have to translate anything I say for you. We are looking for work, and I hope you will consider us.] There was no real reason to make her signing so formal, but it was a habit, and probably due to nervousness.

“Well now,” the woman said, surprise in her voice. “Sign language. A disability, or…? Oh, sorry, I really shouldn’t jump ahead like that. I get a little excited over languages, and in fact I have experience with sign language too, though obviously a different one.” She looked between Dritz and Orion. “I take it one of you can translate?”

While the woman had been sweet and friendly, Dritz couldn’t help but see a stiff sadness in Vela’s sign language. He smiled weakly, touching her shoulder in a way he hoped might be comforting.

“This lovely individual is Vela. I’ll translate precisely for you,” he said with another grin. He signed carefully, ensuring he was getting her phrasing exactly right. “And if you get excited about language, we should definitely speak more after we discuss the potential job, maybe?” He gestured to Orion and Vela, “Maybe we could get a meal together or something? But for the moment… Vela here is an incredible mind; she rebuilt and piloted her own ship, and I’m a jack of all trades, so we’re hoping we can help you out. I’m sure you know how good Ori is!”

“Incredible! That’s an understatement.” The woman in front of them seemed absolutely amazed, not alarmed, and Vela could feel herself relax with this in addition to Dritz’s gentle touch on her shoulder. “I’m so glad to meet you, Vela, I’d love to get to know more about Aurctas and its people, which you’re right, I’ve never heard of! What an amazing life you must have led!”

The woman’s enthusiasm seemed endless as she rambled on a little while, then stopped and shook her head in disbelief at herself. “Look at me, carrying on like this. I’ve not introduced myself! My name is Elisabeth, but I kinda hate it, so do call me Lis. Everyone does! I’m the owner of Nameless Details, which is a really funny name for a repair shop, but I never could come up with one that was decent. Someone suggested it be Nameless, and it stuck. Definitely catches eyes on the listings. It really is great to meet you, Dritz and Vela, and I’d love to have a meal sometime and discuss language. I’m sure Orion could come along, maybe even bring his royal boyfriend so I can get a chance to meet him?”

“Lis…” Orion said sheepishly. “I told you, he’s not as… accessible as one might think, and also not to bring him up to anyone because he doesn’t exactly want the news about us to spread too far… since it very well might, which could cause problems with Coronus.”

Waving her hand, Lis smiled. “I know, I know. I haven’t brought him up to anyone else, but I was sure these two already knew. You guys just look like good friends.” She placed her hands on her hips, seeming ready to get down to business. “Alright, I do know how good Orion is, he’s worked for me before. But I’ll need some info about the types of work you’ve done in the past, Dritz and Vela. You understand, I gotta know where to put you when we start repairs.”

[I have no experience in repairs,] Vela signed, feeling hesitant again despite the kindness Lis was showing them. [I had hoped to work with Dritz as he teaches me more. I learn quickly.] She waited for Dritz to translate and talk about his own experiences, shifting from one foot to the other in remaining nervousness.

“Elisabeth,” Dritz repeated. The Basic tongue had never been much of a challenge to him, but he did like to repeat new names to ensure he was saying them correctly, as pronunciation and intonation was important for his native speaking. He took her hand once more, smiling, “Lis. Great to meet you!”

It also hadn’t occurred to him that Fera might not want anyone to know about his relationship; it seemed as though the Coronal prince would want others to give him that attention. Like he’d be more offended if they didn’t look at the two of them and fawn over them. Absently, Dritz wondered if the problem might lie in the class difference. Of course, again this wasn’t something he had much experience with, with there being no class system on Chrysala. He couldn’t see what else it might be.

Resolving to ask Orion later, if the subject didn’t seem too personal, he watched Vela before signing and repeating for Lis. “Vela has no experience with repairs, but she wants to watch me, and perhaps learn as she goes along. She’s a very, very fast learner, it’s almost unnatural. I can almost guarantee you that she will be working on repairs without assistance in a week or two. For now though, she’d just be my assistant. I’ve been an engineer since I was of working age, I used to do ship fabrication at a firm on Chrysala, I regularly take odd mechanic jobs, and know my way around approximately ten standard engine types, with a good-ish knowledge of some more specialised tech; namely Chrysalan. Obviously.” He chuckled, shrugging.

He didn’t see Lis having an issue with Vela being more help than practical work, but it was still good to make sure.

“Impressive,” Lis declared, eyes widening at Dritz’s list of experience. “You’re lucky; since I know Orion pretty well, and trust his contacts, I won’t need to run a background check. Lucky for me too, what a pain!” she laughed. “I think I’ll put you to work on the main engine, you’d be virtually perfect.”

She turned to Vela with a more serious expression, though her eyes were still incredibly kind. “It might not be standard practice for me to take on anyone who’s acting as an assistant, but given your background and quick learning ability, I find no problem with it this time. I can’t pay anyone who’s not actively repairing on their own, but…” Her gaze shifted to Dritz. “I reckon I can pay you a little extra, seeing how you have four arms.”

Giving the Chrysalan the slightest wink, Lis then launched into a detailed explanation of pay rates, the hours they were expected to work, breaks and mealtimes and so on, promising to send all the information to Dritz’s datapad that evening. Vela felt herself relaxing through all of this, barely aware of how she was nearly leaning into Dritz in relief.

“Right, that’s settled,” Lis was continuing cheerily. “I mean, I need another seven people or so, but this is a start. Sooo… anyway. You two an item?”

Orion groaned slightly, shaking his head. “Don’t mind her, really. She’s obsessed with who’s dating who. I think she asks this question to every couple she sees walking around together.”

Vela had been startled slightly, but didn’t know what “an item” was. Lis hadn’t removed her eyes from herself and Dritz, so it could be assumed she was referring to them. She turned a curious expression toward him to see if he might understand.

Dritz had slipped into “serious business” mode, making mental notes and asking general questions he always asked when he started a new job. He had been burned in the past by his kindness and general desire to work, so he liked to make sure of certain things beforehand.

Once that was concluded, however, Lis took him by surprise with her question. He looked at Vela, who seemed (adorably) confused by the older woman’s phrasing.

“It’s a couple thing, I think, flower. Like, are we a couple,” he explained with a grin. He was not 100% certain, but he decided to commit. If he was wrong, someone would surely say. With Chrysalan relationships, working with partners or family members was common, but he knew some folk had some sort of problem with couples working together. Thankfully, Lis didn’t seem the type.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he shrugged, his tone decidedly teasing as he put and arm around Vela. “Is that going to be a problem? I do sense a spark between us, after all,” he laughed, giving Lis a wink while squeezing Vela gently.

“Did you hear that, Orion?” Lis was gushing, her hands clasped together. “He calls her flower and isn’t that the most adorable thing ever? What a precious pair. No, no, it’s not a problem to me. Some employers think it would cause issues with work not getting done, but I find it’s more of an issue for me. I’ll be careful to hold myself back from hanging over your shoulders constantly, swooning about how sweet you are.”

Vela was still a little uncertain about what had just occurred, but surely Dritz had not meant to make light of their relationship, or actually say he was attracted to someone else instead. Still, she protectively also put her arm around him, her other hand reaching to grip his shirt subtly for her own reassurance.

“And with that, I’d better get back to work,” Lis said cheerfully, giving them a friendly wave. “Still assessing some of the damage, then rounding up the rest of my team. A busy day for me today, and one for you bright and early tomorrow morning. Make sure you’re rested!”

She exclaimed about how glad she was to meet them once again, shaking everyone’s hands before she disappeared back into the panel. Vela, Dritz and Orion left the ship and returned to the bay, where Orion paused them briefly to speak to Dritz.

“I’m really glad that worked out. But.. hey, I’m going to go see Fera. And I’ll manage to get him down by the dining area tonight. It’d be a good opportunity for you to ask him about the shopping thing? The sooner we get a little more peace between us, the better, I think.”

Working out a few more details, he also left so that Vela and Dritz were alone together. Vela didn’t sign anything for the moment, only hoping everything was going as well as it seemed.

Dritz chuckled at Lis’s gushing, but found himself feeling uncharacteristically… shy about it at the same time. He’d never really felt that in relation to his closeness with Vela, but then, he’d never been complimented about it in such a way. Orion made it clear he found their relationship cute, of course, but perhaps it was her tone.

They made a few arrangements, and left the ship. After speaking with Orion, though, Dritz was trying to work out exactly how to approach Fera about perhaps indulging in a bit of shopping with him. Any prolonged time with the prince would surely be taxing, but at the same time, Dritz thought it would be worth it to get to know him better.

Left with just Vela for the first time in what felt like too long, Dritz pulled her into a big hug, lifting her off the ground with a grin, “We have work, flower! How great is that? And it’s stuff I know we’ll do amazingly as well.” He cupped her face and looked at her adoringly, his eyes full of excitement and positivity, “We’ll be helping out the Aurians before you know it.”

Leaving behind her doubts for the time being, Vela decided to focus on how happy Dritz was about them obtaining work and how confident he seemed it would go well. His reminder that they would be able to help her people soon also settled her, and she decided that her worries were most likely unfounded. Besides that, it was difficult to not feel at peace in general when she was alone with him.

Returning the hug, she couldn’t resist the urge to kiss him as he touched her face. [I’m glad we were able to. You’re right. I’m sure the time will go by quickly.] Secretly she was hoping some of it would go even faster, such as any time they would have to spend with Fera, the mention of which had made her frown again.

[Do you think he will really agree to spend time with you?] she asked skeptically as they began the walk back to their room. [How will you even ask him? He seems like the kind of person to be suspicious of everything.] The idea of him having to spend time with the haughty prince didn’t sit too well with her, especially because she wouldn’t be able to keep watch on Fera to make sure he wasn’t treating Dritz poorly.

Dritz didn’t really have an answer for either of Vela’s questions. He shrugged, pulling a face and shaking his head, “Honestly? I dunno. I might lead with… something like 'oh, I like your shoes, I saw some similar styles at this one shop, blah blah, do you wanna come check it out with me?’ or something, then while we’re in there I can maybe suggest checking out some other places, like 'this is fun, let’s try the next store!’ Think that’d work? I don’t really believe he’ll want to, but I think it will be worth trying, maybe we can make him into more of a friend.”

He rested his forehead against hers and chuckled, closing his eyes, “You ever feel like some of the smallest tasks are more daunting than the bigger ones? Fera’s more of an ordeal than long term space travel!”

It was easy to agree about Fera being like a difficult task, and Vela thought only finding her people a new home was a bigger challenge than making friends with the Coronal prince. But the time in between passed too quickly, and after dinner that night, Dritz and Vela found themselves lingering near the main part of the dining area as they waited for Orion and Fera to appear.


	26. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz has a proposition for Fera; Vela and Dritz go to work and have more fun later.

Vela was a little disappointed that Orion had even managed to get Fera out into a place he obviously didn’t want to be; the sneer on the prince’s face as they approached was a little too telling when it came to what he must think of it. He was looking as immaculate as ever in pristine white, cringing away from every surface as though it might get him dirty, even though he was staying awfully close to Orion, who hadn’t changed from his slightly greasy jumpsuit.

“Hey, you two,” Orion greeted them fondly, though Fera only stared. “Nice night, huh? I… well, Dritz, I know you had something to ask Fera, so I brought him for you. I dunno if you want to speak alone? I can probably take Vela to show her some more of the human food stalls around here. I’m good at finding them.” He was chuckling weakly, but Fera had a pointed glare which he was currently dividing between Dritz and Vela.

As always, the dinner Dritz and Vela had was delicious, and the atmosphere full of cheerful conversation, though as the time of their meeting with Orion and Fera drew closer, there was something of a cloud over Vela, albeit a small one. Miniscule, really. He knew she never liked seeing Fera, though, so it was understandable.

As they approached, Dritz beamed, waving, “Ah, the most handsome pair of gentlemen I have ever seen together.” His smile turned into more of a smirk as he was met with one glare, and one delightful grin that matched his own.

“Actually, yes, I did want to ask your lovely royal datemate something,” he chuckled, sweeping an arm around Fera, taking care not to touch his lovely white clothing, “Be a gentleman to my lovely flower, though, okay? We won’t be long!” Quickly, he leaned over to Vela and gave her a gentle kiss before turning back to Fera, “A drink, perhaps?”

Holding himself quite stiffly, especially as Dritz moved an arm around him (thankfully not touching him), Fera couldn’t stop glaring. He was angry with Orion for making him come here, angry with Dritz for wanting to speak with him, and angry at the Vela for… for existing and using her horrible magic on anyone she came near. Since she obviously was.

A little part of him, the rational side, was telling him that he shouldn’t be so harsh on them all. They were trying to be friendly, and Orion had tried so hard lately to make him happy, which wasn’t an easy task. Of course, it shouldn’t ever be an easy task to make a prince happy, but that was beside the point. As usual, his stubborn and irrational side was winning out.

He cringed back to see Dritz kiss the Vela, then sneered at the idea of Orion being a gentleman toward her, though he naturally would. In a brief moment of horror, he realized now might be the time she could sink her evil claws into his lover, but Orion whisked her off so fast there was no time for him to protest this sudden plan.

“A drink,” he snapped icily. “Fine. It had better be a nice one.” If he was going to have to put up with whatever nonsense this was, he had better get a start toward becoming slightly inebriated in the bargain.

Dritz, trusting his knowledge from last time, confidently ordered a small bottle of Verrian champagne, despite the raised eyebrow from the barman. It wasn’t necessarily the very nicest drink available in the galaxy, but it ranked well on the station; a seemingly crystal clear alcohol with, if one looked carefully, flecks of glittering rose gold. If Verrians did one thing right, it was decadence.

He poured the bottle into the wide, shallow glass provided and handed it to Fera with a smile that could be considered mildly flirtatious, but was simply his attempt to warm the prince to him.

“Now that you have something befitting, I’d like to invite you,” he said in an easy, warm tone, “To… Come shopping with me. Ori mentioned to me, though it was already clear to me, that we have a mutual love of fashion. I’d really enjoy it if we could maybe do a bit of browsing together sometime, maybe you could even give me some advice. What do you think?”

First things first, of course: Verrian champagne was absolutely marvelous. Fera sipped at it daintily, hardly even noticing Dritz as he spoke, but the words slowly began to register. Then he had to set the glass down and stare.

“You are not being serious. Are you? Is this a joke at my expense?” Dritz started assuring him it was not, and Fera sighed loudly to interrupt. “I hardly think our taste in fashion is at all similar. What benefit is there to us browsing together? And what sort of advice could I possibly give you? Coronal and Chrysalan fashion-” he sniffed haughtily “-might as well be different as night and day.”

If he had to be honest (and he wasn’t about to be publicly), he thought that all sorts of fashion were at least a little intriguing. In fact, there were times when he actually thought about learning more, but generally thought it would require too much work. He resumed sipping from his glass, though he glared over the rim at Dritz as though to challenge him to come up with a satisfactory answer to his questions.

Dritz smiled earnestly, “It’s not a joke. Fashion as self expression is still like, really, really new to Chrysala, so no one I know really gets why I love it so much. Even my little sisters find it a bit weird.” He shrugged, looking somewhat sheepish.

“Honestly? I think you’d know more about it than me. Maybe I could learn more about what… Goes with what? You know? Don’t you think you’d have fun too? We could go in any shops you like. And it’d be nice to have someone there when I find something really unflattering to laugh at!” This was something that Dritz didn’t really like admitting, but sometimes he would find an item even he disliked, and it would amuse him. He’d often thought it might be fun to gather up the most ridiculous things he could find and try them all on at once.

“C'mon, I bet we’d have a good time.”

Fera shrugged, trying to feel irritated instead of intrigued. It confused him why he was even contemplating spending any time with Dritz, who he had mostly thought of as an annoyance before, even as he had somehow almost wanted to spend more time around him. He wasn’t the worst. He might even be alright. Sort of.

In the end, it was the lure of being able to discuss fashion and shop with someone else with the same interest. That’s all it was, not even the slightest interest in becoming a friend to Dritz, none at all.

“Fine,” he said shortly, continuing to sip his drink in the pause after. “It’s not like Orion’s really interested in doing the same with me. You’ve seen how he dresses,” he continued with a sigh. Those drab jumpsuits were nearly intolerable. Fera was certain that if he was a little more shallow, he would drop the human over that.

Going with Dritz would allow him to learn more about how the Chrysalan chose to express himself through fashion, something more interesting than he ever might have imagined it could be. Maybe he could learn more about why his planet was new to the idea as well. “The day after tomorrow,” he announced abruptly, draining his glass in another swallow. “I’m free then. At least a few hours before the shops close at night.” He stood, looking away from Dritz. “For the drink… thank you.”

It wasn’t like him to show much gratitude to anyone. He nearly tried to stride off dramatically, but then realized they both had to find Orion and the Vela together, resulting in him just standing there in a maddeningly awkward way as he waited for Dritz to join him.

Dritz beamed, giving Fera’s shoulder a brief squeeze, “Yay! I’ll be there! Thanks, it’s gunna be amazing.”

He rambled excitedly for a moment, about which of the shops might be the best while he grabbed a soft drink to go from the man behind the bar, before he realised Fera was waiting on him. “Sorry. Hey, though, I don’t think Orion looks bad in his overalls or anything. Do you? I think he looks handsome; it says something to still look desirable in workwear. Most folk, when they’re covered in engine oil or dirt and grime and stuff, they don’t look their best. Even if they look hardworking, and that’s a good thing. But I think Ori almost looks better. More like himself, maybe?”

After a beat, he added, “You make a pretty cute pair, actually!”

Fera stayed icily silent as Dritz rambled, one eyebrow twitching in irritation every now and then. Why had he agreed to spend more time with this individual, exactly?

“Don’t look at him like that,” he finally said in suspicion, protective of Orion immediately. “Of course he’s handsome no matter what, otherwise I would have no interest in him. Chrysalan have multiple partners, don’t they? You had better not be getting ideas. Orion is mine.”

He hadn’t meant to sound so possessive, but losing the human was an odd fear of his. He had never been so invested in one person before, and had in fact been on a long series of one night stands for quite some time now. To hear Dritz describe them as a “cute pair” made his emotions churn in a way which he had never experienced in his life.

It was with great relief that he hurried to Orion’s side when they found the others. The Vela similarly moved quickly to Dritz with a worried look on her face. But what did she have to be so worried about when she was the one who might have used some of her mysterious signs on Orion?

While it was unlike him, Dritz bristled, but kept his voice as cheerful as he could, “I’m not his type, and I’m not the same as the rest of my people. I can appreciate how someone looks without wanting to bed them, prince.” Feeling a pang of mischievousness, he added in a lighter, flirty tone, “Yourself, for example.”

When they were reunited with their respective loves, Dritz threw his arms around Vela, scooping her up with ease and nuzzling her neck, “Hiya, flower, have fun?” He whispered with a comically exaggerated pout, “You better not be leaving me for a certain handsome human now.” Something about what Fera had said was still niggling in the back of his mind, and he found he couldn’t let Vela go right away. He clung to her for a few minutes more, her feet dangling only an inch or two off the floor, given their similar height, fully appreciating her slight body heat, delicate smell, the softness of her hair as it brushed against one of his antennae. He didn’t want anyone tainting what they had.

Vela couldn’t figure out why Fera had such an appalled and disturbed look on his face when the others came back, but returned Dritz’s hug immediately, clinging back to him as he seemed to want to hold her for quite a while. She shook her head as he whispered, wondering why he would ask such a thing, certain his talk with Fera had not gone well at all.

So she was quick to rush along their farewells and get Dritz to herself again, turning to face him and sign. [What is it? Did he say or do something horrible?] She couldn’t help herself as she reached out to fiddle with the hem of shirt again, fretting and concerned as she watched him closely.

Dritz had been fairly accepting that they would need to make some polite conversation for a while before they left, but Vela somehow ushered them through some goodbyes in an expertly swift way. It was clear she and Orion had maybe managed to speak a little, and Dritz translated for her when there was any lack of understanding.

Once they were alone, he found Vela looking incredibly concerned, gently twisting his shirt in her fingers.

“Oh… no, not really,” he said cheerily. “It’s silly… he thought that, just because other Chrysalans have a lot of partners, and that I told him Orion was handsome, I was going to try and, I dunno, seduce his boyfriend or something.” Dritz sighed, stroking Vela’s arm. “Not everyone on Chrysala has several partners. I mean, it’s the norm, but it doesn’t mean the same for all of us… I know it’s not what I want…”

Vela listened closely, first a little alarmed, then relaxing as Dritz explained further. Strangely enough, it had been the same thought which had crossed her mind not too long ago, and to hear there was nothing to worry about was rather comforting.

[I see,] she signed, letting go of his shirt and giving him a little smile. She didn’t feel like telling him what she had worried about, but thought she might press a bit further to be sure. [But why wouldn’t you want more partners? Maybe there’s a benefit you haven’t thought of. It might be that they could provide some things which I might not be able to.] While she wasn’t sure what those things might be, she did want to be certain Dritz knew what he was doing and not making the decision just for her sake.

Dritz seemed more confused than distressed by this point, shaking his head.

“I know what I want out of a relationship, any relationship, and that’s a companion. Someone to share things with, someone to lavish affection on, and someone who works with me on everything. Some of my people don’t find what they want in just one partner. My mum, for example… She has another partner just for discussions. They cuddle and share drinks, and have deep, philosophical conversation. The most physical they’ll be is tender kisses. But… I can’t think of a single aspect of what I think I need that isn’t being fulfilled by you,” he said. Not normally awkward, Dritz’s manner was soft, quiet. “So… Why would I seek someone else just so I could seem ‘normal’ to Chrysala?”

Her own expression softening further, Vela found she had no answer for Dritz immediately. Instead she put her arms around him, squeezing as tight as she dared and resting her face against his neck for a long moment. When she finally pulled back, her smile was a little wider.

[You don’t have to look, then. And neither do I, you give me all I need. All the things I never knew I wanted, but now that I’m experiencing them… I don’t want to do without.] She leaned up to kiss him, her gaze lingering over his face until she was ready to sign again.

[But what did happen with Fera, then? Are you going shopping with him?] She almost found she wanted to start fidgeting with Dritz’s shirt again once she remembered the main point of the evening, but managed to hold herself back.

Dritz squeezed back with a slight but pleased little chirp, grinning.

“Oh, heh, yeah. I’m not sure he’s too happy about going with me, but he had every chance to say no, and he didn’t do it, sooo…” he shrugged, shaking his head. “He clearly just needs some persuading, I predict we will be the very best of friends by the end of our shopping trip.” He gave Vela a wink, “After all, how could he not enjoy time with me?”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, “So what about you? Have fun with Ori?”

Vela wondered why Fera would agree if he didn’t seem happy about the plan. Was he plotting something awful for Dritz? It appeared she had more worrying to do, with this information not settling her fears at all. They would not be best friends by then, of that she was certain.

[It was alright,] she signed hesitantly in response to Dritz’s question. The truth was she had been so busy fretting that she had paid little attention to anything the human tried to show her. [There were some other places selling food exclusively from Earth, so we should try them sometime. And while you’re shopping with Fera, I should teach Orion how to sign a little.. it would be easier.]

She took Dritz by the hand then as he talked to her, gently maneuvering them through the streets as quickly as she could manage, wanting to forget about that situation for now.

-

Early the next morning, Vela found herself trying to prod Dritz awake. It was their first day of working, and she wondered if he was dreaming, as it was proving more difficult than normal to rouse him.

Eventually she let her hand slip down to his ticklish side, a slight smile rising as she ran her fingers across it.

That evening, Vela did not seem particularly settled, but Dritz put it down to her having not really enjoyed any interaction with Fera, which… was entirely understandable. He knew she liked Orion well enough, which was reassuring, but he wondered what it would take for the prince of Coronus to apologise and atone for his behaviour towards Vela, and similarly what it would take for her to forgive him. She wasn’t unreasonable, but he certainly was, from what Dritz had seen.

Their night was relaxed, something they always seemed to need after time with or around Fera, and they curled up close together, agreeing to try some Earth cuisine sometime soon.

-

The first thing Dritz was aware of, though only vaguely, and through a fog of deep slumber, was something against his side. With his mind thick with sleep, it didn’t register properly, and he batted at it lazily. The sensation persisted and he tensed, a low buzz in his throat that turned into a desperate yelp/giggle.

When Dritz sleepily tried to push her hand away, Vela only smiled wider and reached around him to drag her fingers along his side even more. He began laughing, almost in his sleep, though he was coming out of it quicker the more she continued. The sounds he was making caused her to wish she could laugh too, a genuine feeling of mirth which rose up in her chest and wanted to spill over.

[We have to go to work,] she signed when she thought he could see her properly, even if he was still giggling after she took her hands away. [You wouldn’t wake up, so… I’m sorry to do that.] Her smile indicated she wasn’t really too sorry, and she leaned over him for a quick, almost playful kiss.

Dritz chirped happily, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at Vela. All in all, even with the tickling, it was not a bad way to be woken up. Not at all.

As she leaned over, however, he pulled her down with a grin, rolling the two of them to one side and kissing her deeply, thinking they surely had enough time for a little playful cuddle. In one smooth motion, as he rolled them to one side, he carefully climbed over her and out of bed, kissing her again.

“Thanks for waking me, flower. I would have woken up in time, but I wouldn’t have had a lot of time to adjust. I’ve never yet been late for work, but-” he scrunched his nose up, laughing, “I have turned up half asleep, still. So this is better. Even if I don’t approve of being tickled awake.”

He grinned and dressed quickly, in his overalls, which still had a pleasant, if faint, hint of the smell of the plants on Trelos. “We should grab something quick to eat on the way, there’s no use starting work on an empty stomach.”

Dritz pulling her down and kissing her unexpectedly did startle Vela a little bit, but she was soon smiling again. She nestled against him warmly until he rolled out of bed on her other side, then sat up.

Her normal eye bright, she watched Dritz as he dressed and rambled to her. While he said he didn’t approve of this method of being awoken, she couldn’t help but want to try again and see what might happen a second time. She had an excited feeling about getting to their new job, one which mingled with a little anxiety. Suppose she wasn’t very good at it? But Dritz would teach her, obviously it would all be fine.

Of course she had dressed hours before, in closer-fitting clothing than she might normally choose, thinking loose items would be more likely to catch on objects if she had to get near them. It was easy to agree they needed to eat something, and they headed out to one of the food stalls closest to the docking area, which sold convenient “pockets” of bread filled with vegetables or fruit. These were eaten along the way, and the freighter came into view just as Vela was taking her last bite.

By now, the anxiety was edging out the excitement. She stood close to Dritz even when Lis appeared to greet them, beaming in a friendly way. “Good morning! Very punctual, that’s good. I’ll take you inside and show you where to start. Orion’s already here, and I’ve put you all together in one of the sub-engine rooms for now. I’ll need to do just a little observing to make sure you can handle it, first,” she added with a wink.

Dritz was more energetic than usual, a spring in his step as they made their way down to meet Lis. There really was nothing for him quite like going to a new job or fresh work, with a full stomach, early in the morning. The fact that he was getting to share that feeling with Vela only added to the experience.

“Good morning! You should know this about me, Lis; I love to work, and you won’t ever find me late,” he said brightly, putting an arm around Vela, “Glad to hear Orio is already here, Vela and I are ready to work hard with whatever you give us.” He glanced at her with a reassuring smile, “We can handle anything, and you’ll definitely see that in your observations.”

“That’s very reassuring,” Lis replied, beginning to lead them through the maze of corridors in the freighter. “Of course, I already had faith, being recommended by someone like Orion, and being a Chrysalan, who are generally quite good with mechanical matters if they have a mind to specialize in them. I’m beyond thrilled with all of my hires on this job, it’s such a big one! Two weeks with a team of twelve, that’s all the time I’ve been given but I’m sure we can do it.”

Vela remained close by Dritz’s side as she listened to him talk back and forth with Lis, her sharp mind for details already committing their path to the sub-engine room to memory. It wouldn’t take her too long to be familiar with the layout of the entire ship, if they got to be shown much of it, at least.

Orion gave them a friendly and enthusiastic greeting upon their arrival, making Vela relax a bit further. She did like the human, much as she was beginning to associate him with Fera now.

“Alright, lady and gentlemen,” Lis said in a louder tone, seeming to be ready for them to get down to serious work. “I don’t need an example from Orion, who’s already working on getting the exterior generator repaired. What I want from Dritz is to show me how fast he can fix the main connection to the sub-engine, here.” She opened a large panel along the side of one wall, showing an obvious engine but a mess of wires which Vela honestly thought was a little intimidating. “That is, how fast you can fix it while teaching your lovely companion to do it along the way. Now that’s a real test.” She paused to laugh a moment, though she didn’t look worried about it. “One of the fuses is split, if that helps for a start. Probably, anyway. I didn’t take a close enough look at it.”

She stepped back and let Dritz take over, with Vela cautiously approaching near the engine to watch.

“Lis, my dear, you have no idea how easy a test this will be for her,” Dritz announced proudly as he rolled his sleeves up, flexing his fingers and looking at the mess of mechanical insides. “My flower here will have this memorised in no time.”

He pulled out his multitool and a small device for testing the functionality of the systems, kneeling in front of the opening. “Good morning, love. I’m Dritz, this is Vela, and we’ll be trying to fix your split fuse. No, we will be fixing your split fuse. It’s Vela’s first time, so don’t be difficult, okay?” he said to the ship as he started uncasing areas and running wire tests, beckoning Vela closer and talking her through every process. Occasionally he would hand her the multitool and have her test things herself, or affix the simpler parts together.

Within maybe fifteen minutes it was complete, but it was an additional ten while Dritz made certain he was happy with their work. Turning to Lis, he shrugged, “How’d we do? I’m excited to know!”

On her part, Vela focused very hard on following what Dritz was doing, listening to his explanations and cautiously following his instructions when he handed her the multitool or showed her how to perform other actions. She wanted to complete the work quickly and impress Lis, but at the same time she knew it would mean nothing if it wasn’t done right in the first place.

Once they were done, Dritz was checking it over, and she even followed along with that as best as she could. With an anxious expression she turned to see what Lis thought.

“Well, well,” the woman said thoughtfully, her arms folded as she studied what they had done. “I’m impressed again. You kept up a good speed and fixed it all thoroughly, even double checking, without getting too distracted by anything else. Unless, this was all simply because I was watching.” She winked at them, showing she wasn’t serious about that part, and Vela relaxed. “But I may have to copy your way of talking to the parts first. I’m thinking it must add a secret benefit to your work that I’d never considered before. Good job, both of you. I’m more than satisfied, and I’ll take you on to the main course, so to speak.”

She began leading them out of the room again, along with Orion, who had also finished his work and hung back to talk to them in a low voice. “You really impressed her, I can tell even without her saying. I admit I was trying to watch and work at the same time, though I did finish my own correctly,” he chuckled. “I think we’re getting assigned to something really good.” Intrigued, Vela nevertheless remained close to Dritz as they walked, feeling more confident but still needing the extra boost of security.

Dritz chortled with absolutely no embarrassment to realise he’d been speaking to the machinery. Oftentimes, he’d just… do it without really thinking. “It’s always worked well for me,” he said with a wink back at Lis.

Much as Dritz liked to be modest in his work, it always made his heart sing to hear he’d done a good job, or he’d impressed someone. Then, he was sure that came with the work ethic his family, and his people in general had. Working hard and knowing you’d done a good job of something was surely rewarding no matter who you were, though.

“Oh yeah? I look forward to learning more, then,” he said with a grin, leaning in to speak quietly to Orion. “What were you working on? Sounds like she was already pretty impressed by *you*.”

Had Fera been there, Dritz had a feeling he would not have made a suggestive little joke about Lis and Orion in that way. The older lady clearly didn’t think of Orion in the way he was suggesting, so he figured it was acceptable.

“The external generator,” Orion replied with a grin of his own, shaking his head. “But no, that’s easy stuff. She wasn’t impressed by that. Like I said, I’ve worked for her before. She knows I’m good.” He seemed to catch on to Dritz’s teasing, but didn’t seem displeased by it.

Lis was taking them fairly deep into the ship, but Vela felt she could lead them back out with little problem. She wasn’t exactly prepared for the sight that met them at their destination, however. The room was massive, with multiple machines out in the open as well as behind panels which stood ajar to show they needed to be fixed. Vela stared in awe, finally wandering a few steps away from Dritz and taking a look at the nearest machine.

“What do you think?” she could hear Lis asking, though she didn’t turn away from her inspection. “You three in the main engine room by yourself for a few days? See how much you can clean up before I send in anyone else. Though I wonder if you could take care of the whole thing.” The human woman was watching them closely, but she smiled in a way which was obviously friendly. “Think you can handle it, Orion? Dritz? With some help from this darling and curious flower?” Now it seemed it was Lis who was teasing, at least a little, and Vela turned to watch with the exact curiosity she had just been accused of.

Much as Dritz wanted to join Vela on her curious exploration, the Chrysalan always maintained a good degree of seriousness when he was working. Of course he was passionate, but it wouldn’t do to wander off and make someone question their trust in you. At least not yet. And it was clear that Lis herself was not the sort to judge, but still.

“I dunno, what do ya reckon, Ori?” Dritz said brightly, then turning to Vela, “Vela? You two reckon we can get this done alone? I think that, even if we don’t do it alone, the additional help you’ll need will be minimal,” he added with a proud grin.

“Curious flower and her two educational thorns reporting for mechanic duty,” he chirped, chuckling.

“Oh, we’ve got this,” Orion replied with slightly exaggerated confidence, joining in on the lighthearted attitude to the work in general. He knew Lis enjoyed a lighter tone, not wanting to be completely serious unless the situation absolutely called for it. “Who knows if we’ll even need help? Once Vela is up to speed, there’s very little that could possibly slow us down.”

Vela didn’t seem as certain, though she did give a hesitant nod in response. Lis only started laughing, telling them they were a wonderful team, and to take good care of the Aurian by not being too prickly as thorns before she left to talk to the rest of her team elsewhere on the ship.

Immediately, Vela turned to Dritz with an earnest, almost worried expression. [She didn’t say what to repair. It can’t be the entire room? How do we know what to do?] She was a little embarrassed about not knowing many things about repair just yet, but wanted to learn as quickly as possible.

Dritz laughed heartily at Orion’s enthusiasm and how it matched his own perfectly. Soon enough, he thought, Vela’s would match as well, and he couldn’t wait for that day.

When the scruffy human had explained the repair situation, Dritz put a hand to his chest. “Why, Ori! I never thought you’d ask,” he sighed, before snorting with laughter and they began to examine the main engine.

Between the three of them, they fixed each of the niggling small repairs in the main engine, with Vela managing a complete minor fix with nothing but Dritz’s verbal guidance. The human and the Chrysalan chattered cheerily, and it wasn’t long before they were able to do some tests and move outwards to the other consoles. There were a lot of minor repairs, and some damaged casing (something they couldn’t actually do too much about), but mostly it was a lot of trial and error, looking for exactly what was wrong with the machinery.

“This might be the biggest job I’ve ever taken,” Dritz mumbled thoughtfully, looking at Vela as he wiped his sweaty hands on his overalls, “So I’m glad I have your help.”

Vela’s only response for the moment was a slight smile. She had found it an enjoyable day after all, beyond being worried about how she would do with the repairs. It turned out to be something she could quickly learn, and had indeed learned a lot during the hours they had worked.

Their only break had been an hour for a quick lunch, so by the time they were done for the day, they were all feeling a bit worn out and hungry, but overall happy and satisfied. Lis had come to check on them and dismiss them with praise of a job well done, and a promise to see them at the same time tomorrow morning.

Orion went along with Dritz and Vela for their evening meal, which was full of discussion of their day and what they would like to accomplish the next. She didn’t add much to the conversation, but she kept her attention focused on it in an attempt to learn even more. By the time they parted ways with Orion, who said he had promised to spend the evening alone with Fera, Vela was relaxed and feeling oddly, almost… playful.

[What should we do now?] she asked of Dritz as they left the dining area together. [Maybe we should take a shower to freshen up a little. You can go first.] While they could take a shower together, she had other ideas in mind for how their evening might proceed.

The combination of a full stomach, the satisfying ache of well worked muscles and the dull thrum of a concentration headache were putting Dritz in bright spirits. All of these things meant he had worked well, and hard. To have enjoyed a full day with two people he had a great deal of affection for, too, was a delight.

For all he was enjoying work, he was even more excited to finally have non-working time alone with Vela, and when they finally got back to their room, he pulled her into a big embrace, flopping his head against her and sighing happily, having agreed to shower first but not quite getting there right away.

“I’m glad to be working with you, flower, I’ve had such a good day,” he purred, rubbing her back as he nuzzled into her hair. “Buuuut… you sure you don’t want to join me?”

Tempting as it was to simply get into the shower with Dritz and enjoy their time together that way, Vela forced herself to shake her head and step back as soon as she could, especially before Dritz’s hands began working their way lower (as they tended to) and making it harder to keep her resolve.

[It was a good day. I loved to work with you. But for now… we’ll shower separately.] Her smile was the slightest bit flirtatious, so he knew there was nothing wrong, and she backed away without even giving in to the urge to help him undress first. She was almost proud of her determination.

She listened until she heard the water running, then sat herself down on the bed calmly to wait. Her mind was working over several ideas which could nearly be classified as mischievous, and this was a new feeling for her.

Dritz was seemingly satisfied with Vela apparently wishing to shower alone; perhaps she felt grubby and less attractive, or something similar. With a cheerful kiss, he left her to her own devices to enjoy his own unhurried shower.

It was a good half an hour before the Chrysalan emerged once more, with a towel slung around his waist, his hair dripping onto bare shoulders.

“Your turn, my flower,” he said, sitting on the bed beside her and nuzzling her hair once again, apparently becoming distracted by her neck, as he absently kissed at it, “Water’s nice and warm.”

Vela melted a little into the kisses, but made herself stand and smile as Dritz offered her the shower. She did kiss him back before entering the bathroom, quick to strip herself down to nothing and stand under the warm spray.

Admittedly, showers to her were almost as blissful as baths. The way the water ran constantly across her body was delightful, and sometimes she had made Dritz laugh by standing under the shower head for long minutes without moving. The water across her mechanical eye didn’t affect its function, fortunately, as long as it wasn’t submerged completely.

She didn’t want to take so long this time, so she began washing herself right away, only taking half the time Dritz did before she left the shower. Drying herself with a towel, including rubbing her hair until it was fluffy and nearly dry again, she left the cloth on the floor before taking a deep breath and exiting the bathroom. She approached Dritz at a slow walk, and it obviously wasn’t escaping his notice that she hadn’t brought the towel with her.

Dritz had expected Vela to take her time, and so had situated himself on the bed with his legs stretched out and crossed lazily, leaning against the wall as he looked over his datapad at the plans for the ship they had been working on. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t quite switched off work mode yet.

At the soft click of the door opening, he started to look up, “You didn’t take long-”

His words were robbed from him when he saw her approaching, with no evidence of modesty. Her pale skin was soft and just slightly damp, the light hitting the gentle curves of her stomach and hips, and her hair was like a feathered halo. Of course, he’d seen it all before, but for her to be so openly confident was… Well. Well.

Vela stopped right at the end of the bed, looking at Dritz with amusement. [You’re staring,] she signed to him, seeing he couldn’t seem to decide what to say yet. She had thought it over, and knew one thing to completely distract him would be if she decided not to wear anything out of the bathroom. While she had expected to maybe feel uncomfortable or shy, it turned out she felt neither of those things at all. She liked Dritz looking at her, and the way he obviously appreciated all he could see.

Gracefully she climbed onto the bed and moved toward him, seeing he had at least managed to put the datapad down, and seated herself astride his lap, leaning forward so their chests pressed together and their faces were close. The towel Dritz was wearing around his waist was the only barrier between them, but Vela could still feel how incredibly warm he was through it. With no further explanation, she slowly moved her lips near his until they brushed tenderly, then deepened the kiss as a sudden passion seemed to run through them both.

She would wait just a little longer…

“Yeah, well you came out of the bathroom looking like this,” he said softly, smiling mischievously, still unashamedly looking her up and down, “And you expected me not to stare?”

What happened next was enough to melt even the toughest person’s resolve. Any thought of reasonable conversation was gone, and Dritz was immediately shuffling to accommodate Vela more comfortably (and with as much of them touching as possible). He gently pushed her away from him, wishing to look at her for a time longer, taking in every possible detail of her body through half-lidded eyes. He had no idea what had caused this sudden burst of additional confidence, but he was certainly not complaining.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly before pulling her into a deeper kiss, running his hands over her back and up into her hair, twirling short, delicate strands in his fingers.

He had a point, but Vela only smiled gently against his mouth as he kissed her again. She almost changed her mind about the silly thing she had planned to do, caught up in the adoring way Dritz kept looking her body over, but there was still that playful feeling she couldn’t manage to shake no matter what.

They continued to kiss, Dritz’s hands in her hair, and she moved one of her own hands innocently along his jaw before sliding her fingers down his chest, and slowly, slowly to the side she had touched that morning when she had awoken him.

Her movements then were still slow, but she deliberately moved her fingers across his ticklish side in a pace which gradually quickened, nearly collapsing against him with what could only be thought of as silent laughter as he responded.

There was a little buzz in the back of Dritz’s throat as he leaned back, pulling Vela close. He was aware of her lithe fingers stroking over his chest and stomach, lightly tickling but in a way that was fairly pleasant.

Soon he was aware of the sensation intensifying, and he jerked his hips to one side, involuntarily, but Vela’s fingers were insistent, and he soon was squirming under her, gasps rapidly growing into squeals.

“Aaah, Vela, what the heck!” he laughed, grabbing her wrists and wrestling her onto her back easily. With bright, excited giggles, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, releasing her hands and starting to flex his fingers over her own stomach and hips.

“Reveeennge!” he yelled, before leaning down and, apparently thinking this was a good act of revenge, licking her earlobe.

Though she gasped as Dritz grabbed her, Vela continued to shake with a sort of silent laughter when he pulled her to lay down and leaned over her. She was smiling so widely that she was certain her face hurt. It had definitely been worth it.

However, when he (quite oddly) decided to lick her ear, she gasped again and rolled to her side, curling up and away from his reach. It wasn’t what he done, but the fact that his face had pressed so close to her neck in just the right way that it had tickled her in return.

She shuddered a little, still trembling with “laughter,” curling her toes inward in a strange sort of delight. With her body scrunched up like this, she wondered what Dritz would do to make her relax back toward him. Of course she couldn’t say anything, but she waited for the moment.

Dritz delighted in her response; her trembling shoulders and squirming, almost completely silent. There was something incredibly endearing about her lack of vocalisation, and he flopped next to her, giving her a moment without contact, for her nerves to calm. And, he thought with amusement, for her to untangle herself from the knot she was in.

After a moment, when she hadn’t yet… unfurled herself, he put an arm around her and pulled her into a cuddle, nuzzling against the hair behind her ear, then kissing her bare shoulder.

“I think I’ve proved my point; be careful who you mess with,” he murmured in her ear, his tone low and flirtatious before he chuckled and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You’re adorable.”

Vela gradually relaxed, with only a little additional shiver when Dritz murmured in her ear in a low tone. Her response to his words was to shake her head and smile, and she finally stretched back out and rolled onto her back, looking up at him.

[I didn’t ruin our night, did I? I’m not sure why I wanted to do that. But it was fun.] She reached up to gently brush at his hair, a little stiff as it was still drying, then traced her fingers down his chest and lingered on his stomach for a long moment before she began tugging on the towel at his waist in an effort to loosen and remove it. For some reason, even after what she had done, her desire felt greater than it had before.

“Ruin? Oh, hell no,” Dritz chuckled, nuzzling at her earlobe. “If anything, it’s been more enjoyable! And anyway, there’s no such thing as a ruined night with you.”

Of course, Vela’s insistent fingers at the towel around his waist made him smirk, and Dritz quickly tugged it off for her, before they sunk into each others’ arms, and into deep, passionate kisses, Vela’s enthusiasm lighting a fire within Dritz that only grew with intensity as their hands traced over skin.


	27. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Fera do a little shopping, and possibly come to understand more about each other.

Dritz was awake much earlier than before; either his body’s response to the threat of further tickling, or their very enjoyable evening (so very enjoyable…) had energised him. He stretched out languidly, relishing the fact that they would not need to be out of bed for a while yet, his eyes bright and not at all sleepy.

“Goood morning,” he sang, beaming and running his fingers through his hair, which was wild from it drying messy, but silky from the last night’s bath.

As usual, Vela had awoken some hours earlier and begun using the datapad, but instead of researching anything random of interest, she was looking up more information about repairs on large ships. She was absorbing the material quickly, but knew she would prefer to be shown how to do it. Even if she had learned a lot by reading, she didn’t want to stop being taught by Dritz unless she knew she could already do it all herself with supervision.

Fortunately for him, Dritz was up much earlier than before, with no tickling needed. Vela thought she wouldn’t necessarily use the tactic again so soon, but it was something to keep in mind for the future. She set the datapad down, signing “good morning” before she slid over to him, pressing her body against his and kissing him. Thoughts of last night ran through her head, and how she would like to do the same again already, but they might not have that much time.

[Did you sleep well?] She tilted her head, eyeing his messy hair, then got up and took a brush from the bathroom, wetting it down with water from the faucet before returning to comb his hair out for him so it fell the way it usually did. [I’m sure we’ll have another good day at work. Then… tomorrow night is when you go shopping with Fera, isn’t it?] She couldn’t stop the little frown that crossed her face then. As much as she tried to forget, it kept coming up.

Dritz grinned, cuddling Vela close to him until she slipped away. “I slept so well. Which… Yeah, definitely your doing,” he said slyly, watching her wander away, returning with… A comb?

He relaxed against her gentle hands with a quiet chirp. Something about the act was so tender and intimate, he felt strangely vulnerable, but not in a disconcerting way.

“It is indeed. I’m… Looking forward to iiit?” Dritz’s voice continually went up in pitch, exaggerating the question and giving an equally exaggerated shrug. “Heh, I’m sure it’ll be nice. It’s a start towards us maybe becoming friends. Maybe.”

Vela didn’t agree it would be nice, or think Fera would want to become friends with Dritz, but she nodded her head to agree with him anyway. She didn’t want to bring his optimism down, despite her considerable reservations. They dressed and prepared for their day, spending it in the same way as the previous one, which settled into a comfortable sort of pattern until that particular evening arrived.

Dritz and Vela met with Orion and Fera just outside the main shopping district at the agreed upon time, and there was certainly a bit of discomfort on all sides. Vela could tell that Dritz at least seemed hopeful, though everyone else was wary. Fera, in particular, had a sharp look for her and a disinterested glance at Dritz, making her frown again.

“Hey there. Guess we’re swapping for a little while,” Orion greeted them and joked lightly, though it earned him a glare from Fera in turn. “I, uh, understand Vela wants to teach me some sign language. So we’ll just be doing that for a couple hours, and meet you back here again then. You still alright with that?”

“Promise me Orion will be safe,” Fera suddenly cut in, an intense gaze fixed on Dritz. “Or we’re not doing this at all.”

Confused, Vela looked between them. What would the prince even mean by that? [Maybe I should get the same promise that Dritz will be safe with you,] she signed in a bit of annoyance, making Fera’s eyes widen in alarm as he stepped back from her.

Dritz’s smile for Orion’s little jest quickly fell when Fera implied whatever it was he was implying about Vela. He was determined to make the whole arrangement work, and had made sure to take a change of clothes (a rather fetching set of bright floral trousers and a plain, but acidic green shirt) and have a very quick wash, to ensure it was clear he was making an effort. The prince would surely appreciate that much.

He bit back a smirk as he realised what Vela had said, but he put a gentle hand on her arm and looked at Fera, “Ori’s gunna be fine, you have our guarantee. Why that’s a concern, I do not know! But if it makes you feel better, I am positive. Vela would like the same reassurance from you, please. Like you, she’s just concerned for her beloved partner.” He smiled expectantly at the prince of Coronus, showing him the signs and repeating what they meant.

Fera’s look was darkening rapidly, so Orion stepped forward to also put his hand on the Coronal’s arm in the same way Dritz had placed his on Vela’s. “Listen, no one’s going to come back damaged in any way, we all know that. Let’s just go and have a good time. That’s the whole point.” He had all but pleaded with Fera earlier to stay rational and calm about the experience, seeing how tense he was, but still wasn’t sure it had done any good.

“Fine,” Fera snapped at last, moving away from Orion and toward Dritz instead. “I’m not going to do anything to Dritz. Why would I want to?” His gloating smirk made Orion sigh, but he saw that Vela reluctantly moved over to him, seeming to accept it.

“Right… uh… we’re agreed then,” Orion said awkwardly, waving a hand toward Dritz and Fera. “We’ll see you in a couple hours.” In a gentlemanly manner, he ushered Vela away from the shopping district, but couldn’t help looking back the same as she did. Fera was staring at Dritz as though he expected something, making Orion sigh quietly before he began to focus on and chat to Vela instead. He could only hope everything went well.

“See you later, have fuuun,” Dritz sang, putting a gentle but distant arm around Fera and leading him away towards the first shop, one of the slightly less upmarket stores that sold a lot of more feminine-leaning products. The fashion was mostly human, as they were usually the most common species on a station, with the odd alien influence visible in certain styles. The fabrics were cottony and not at all what Dritz would call interesting, but it made a nice start. He smiled at Fera, “Thanks for coming with me. You look lovely, as always. … So this is gunna be great! I’m looking forward to getting to know you a bit better. I think we’ll have fun.”

He lowered his voice, glancing around the shop, “Though I’m actually sure this was a bad place to start, right? So boring. All the fabric is kind of the same, and none of the colours are that bright. But I haven’t delved too much; you wanna see what we can find here?”

Completely ignoring the first part of what Dritz said, as he was still trying to convince himself that no harm would befall Orion, Fera slowly began listening once the Chrysalan started talking about the shop he had led them into. It only took a brief glance around for him to see it was not the sort of shop he wanted to be in, and definitely not the sort of shop a prince should be seen in.

“It seems you do know something,” he said crisply, glancing around in disdain. “What utter garbage.” He wasn’t making an effort to modulate his voice the way Dritz was, prompting the clerk to look around in confusion and perhaps a bit of annoyance. Apparently they recognized him, or were otherwise intimidated by his beauty, because they didn’t approach.

However, there was something which intrigued him in addition to repulsing him when it came to the shop itself. It was impossible to say why anyone might like the clothing it sold, but it surely had some appeal if it wasn’t yet out of business. He wandered around a little while, sneering at most of the items, but did stop to pick up a long white scarf which could be wrapped multiple times to create different styles. The concept was good, but the fabric was not as silky as he might like, or perhaps even sheer, that would be lovely…

“Why does anyone frequent a place such as this?” he asked Dritz with a dramatic sigh, tempted to arrange the scarf on himself to see how it might look, but ultimately tossing it back loosely onto the folded pile it had come from. “Because they have no taste, or no money? Or both? What a horrid life some must lead.” This was unfair, but he smirked cruelly, not wanting Dritz to think he had sympathy for anyone so unfortunate as to be tasteless and poor.

“Aw, I wouldn’t call it garbage exactly, just… Not to our taste, y'know?” he said, completely delighted that Fera had finally engaged him, even if it was a bit… Standoffish, bordering on rude. It was a start.

He spotted the same scarf that Fera had, a nice enough white number that was entirely too plain for his liking, but would probably make a pretty addition to the prince’s wardrobe.

“Hey, c'mon, prince, that’s not really fair. People work hard for their UCs, and a lot of them don’t want to spend a great deal on clothing. Like, if they’re parents, or if they want to save their credits for a new place to live. It can be hard to live well on some of the wages in certain sectors,” he murmured, keeping his tone as light as possible, knowing it would be a touchy thing to say.

“So, is white your favourite colour?” he asked, quickly and cheerfully, “It looks great on you, but do you ever go for anything darker, or brighter?”

Though he was listening, Fera was still looking around the shop with narrowed eyes as Dritz spoke. Nothing else caught his attention, and he turned toward the exit with an elegant shrug.

“It’s not my problem if they want to look cheap and awful,” he replied, unconcerned over whether it was truly “fair” or not. “I would think it was their fault for not having the money to spend on everything they might need or want.” He was also quick to talk about the new subject before Dritz could complain about what he had said again.

“No, it’s not.” For a moment he glanced about the area, then started walking in the direction which he remembered as leading toward the more expensive shops. “I don’t have one. White is the traditional color of Coronal royalty, I’m not allowed to wear anything else. And it just so happens I don’t want to, it would be too far beneath me.” He determinedly made his way into the nearest shop, trying not to think of all the times he had been tempted by golden or soft pastel fabrics.

However, there were plenty of those on display in this shop. It was still not the finest quality, but a good step above what they had previously been looking at, richer in fabrics and colors. “What about you?” he asked abruptly, spinning on his heel and examining Dritz closely. “What is your favorite? You are always wearing a different color each day. Do colors mean anything to you? Or nothing?” Without realizing, his sudden intense interest in the answers had made him all but completely drop his typical haughty mannerisms and way of speaking.

Dritz looked curiously at Fera. “But maybe you could make another colour more royal. I mean, Coronal commoners must look to their royalty to set the trends? Maybe? Obviously Chrysala is governed differently, but I feel like I’d look at royals as the leaders in fashion. Wouldn’t it be cool to be the one who changed it all?”

He’d been following fairly closely, picking up the odd garment in the new shop. It was much more interesting stuff there, and Dritz had picked up a yellow vest with ruffled shoulders when Fera turned to him.

“Oh…” he smiled with warmth and surprise at the prince’s tone. “Heh, I don’t think I really have a favourite, but I like yellow and blue a lot. Oh, and pink. Like your hair!” He hesitated, wondering whether to share his thoughts in any depth.

“I dunno if you know that Chrysala’s historically been a heavily industrial world, and fashion was not something that was introduced until shortly before my parents’ generation. Everything was built for work and practicality… So, for me, colourful things make me happy because they sort of represent change? Like a show of personality we never used to do. Sounds weird now I say it out loud…”

Well, while the prince’s guard was down, he could maybe let his own…

Fera actually paused in his inspection of a white skirt set with lace panels to slowly turn toward Dritz as he spoke. “No,” he simply said, voice flat. “I’m not changing it. It isn’t done. There is no breaking of tradition on Coronus.”

For quite a while then he was silent, thoughts in a slight turmoil. Of course it wasn’t done, and he really had no desire to wear anything but white. There was no breaking with tradition. Yet he knew the sort of trouble he could land in for being with Orion. That was a break with tradition he couldn’t deny himself.

When Dritz began talking about colors, some of Fera’s iciness thawed again. “Those are good enough for you, I suppose. Perhaps a darker yellow would suit your skin tone better. How do you feel about orange? That would work well too.” He literally cringed at the ruffled shoulders on the vest the Chrysalan had picked up, taking it out of his hands and putting it back before selecting one in darker yellow with a sleeker shape. “You don’t need extra fabric sticking out, with your sort of frame,” he said, without a hint of malice at all.

The information about colors was more interesting than he would let on. “How could a society last so long with fashion? I honestly don’t understand some species. But at least you have it now. So I suppose you are saying you have a loud and disordered sort of personality?” he suggested with a smirk. “Some of your color choices are so random. You could do with choosing more that are complementary.”

“You’re not on Coronus right now,” Dritz said slyly, as though trying to coax a friend into having another drink, or another sweet.

He smiled widely when Fera swapped the shirt he’d been looking at. “Thanks, that’s… Well, I’d never really thought of it that way. Orange is good too,” he said, examining the replacement. It already looked somehow more pleasing against his skin where he held it, and the fabric was the soft, thin sort that would be both comfortable and flattering. Fera was much, much nicer than he let on, apparently.

“Complimentary? Like… To me? Or each other?” he asked, seeming genuinely confused. He did chuckle as he added, “I like to think of it more as a… Bright and friendly personality. But you could say loud and disordered too, I guess!”

With a quick glance at what Fera was holding, he nodded, “That’s nice. Hey, you said about Orion’s clothes before… What sort of things would you put him in?”

“Someone might see me,” Fera murmured, already halfway convinced he was going to buy a piece of clothing that wasn’t white that very day. Someone might see him with Orion as well, and wouldn’t that be worse than getting caught wearing a different color?

“That one is much better,” he said emphatically. “And I mean to each other. Some of your colors have a tendency to… clash. Do whatever you like, of course, but I’m only giving advice. I suppose if it’s meaningful to you then it doesn’t really matter.”

The question about Orion gave him pause, and distracted him again as he glanced around the shop. “Something better than a horrible greasy jumpsuit,” he finally said with a shudder. “Here.” He indicated a nice pair of slacks in dark brown and a soft woven sweater in navy blue. “Along these lines. More of a traditional human look. But everything nicely tailored to his exact measurements; he has beautiful legs which…” Seeming to realize what he was saying, a building warmth heated up his face. “Which I’m not telling you about.”

On the defense again, Fera made a dramatic dismissive gesture. “Don’t ask me for advice on your Vela. She’s helpless, with those dark shapeless clothes most of the time. I couldn’t even think what to recommend to someone like her.”

“I like your advice,” the Chrysalan said cheerfully, folding the shirt over one arm (he was definitely getting that) and smiling, “Thanks, Fera, I knew you’d be the man in the know on this subject.” He wasn’t, however, very sure on what the prince meant by colours clashing. Perhaps he could try limiting the colours on his clothing… Maybe not wearing his heavily patterned stuff with other heavily patterned stuff? Or something?

“Aw, that’s really nice, I can see Ori in those!” he said, touching the sleeve of the jumper, “But I like his greasy overalls! They suit him a lot, but I wonder if that’s the old Chrysalan way talking, what with it being work wear…”

He chose not to comment on his friends legs, beautiful as the probably were. Fera wouldn’t like it.

“She does look best out of the dark, shapeless clothes, it’s true,” Dritz mumbled slyly. “And I wasn’t gunna ask, she looks perfect no matter what. But answer me this; what’s your problem with her? She’s a lovely person. You’re civil enough with me, and we’re having a great time, at least I am, so… Why don’t you like her? She and I are similar, in a way.”

Fera shrugged off Dritz’s thanks and praise alike, though he might usually do a bit of gloating at the very least. He still felt focused on thinking about the clothes on display around him, particularly the ones he had chosen for Orion. Perhaps he might come back later and purchase them… not that it was a romantic gesture or anything. Which was why he couldn’t do that in Dritz’s presence, obviously.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at hearing the Chrysalan’s first statement about the Vela, thinking it was certainly something he wouldn’t wish to know about. Then he took a step back out of sudden fear; he had forgotten that she was likely controlling Dritz somehow.

“I… have no problem with her. Of course not. But I don’t think the two of you are similar at all. She… she…” Out of a terrible and horrified curiosity, he moved closer again to stare hard at Dritz’s face. “You’re… alright, aren’t you? She isn’t listening through your ears? Or speaking through your mouth right now? She must have a range; hopefully we are out of it.” They had better be, he realized, or else he had likely just sealed his fate.

Dritz’s eyes widened in confusion when he was faced with Fera so close to him. What in space was he talking about? His expression was hard to read; a mix of concern, maybe fear, frustration? The prince of Coronus was surely feeling none of those things, but then why would he ask such a thing?

“Fera,” he said gently, “Are you alright? That… Wow, I can’t even pinpoint just one of the reasons that’s a crazy thing to ask. I’m fine. Vela is just my partner, not some sort of… Remote puppeteer??” The idea was so ridiculous that he started snickering, he would definitely have to tell Vela about her somehow controlling his ears and mouth.

“I’m fine,” Fera replied faintly, yet warily. “You… are certain you’re alright? I didn’t mean that… I mean… nothing. I was… jesting. Yes… it was all a joke.”

…What if the Vela heard what he had said? Maybe Dritz was only saying that because she had told him to. Or maybe they really were too far apart for her to control him, and he had no memory of it after the fact. A chill ran down the prince’s spine, which did not happen often with his usual body temperature. He would have to believe she had not heard, and not say any more for now, just in case.

“Are you buying that?” he asked quickly, referring to the shirt Dritz had placed over his arm. “We need to move on if we want to get to the best stores.” He glanced around, but not directly at Dritz, hoping not to be questioned further.

Dritz frowned at Fera for a long moment, but the prince of Coronus would not return his gaze. Really, though, what was going on?!

He would ask Ori later. He’d have to, this would play on his mind.

Once he had lost his desire to see Fera squirm a second longer, he purchased the too that had been recommended for him, and the two would-be companions moved on to the next store. This was a small but packed full jewellery shop selling endless adornments in many different styles, and catering for the more thrifty buyer as well as the extravagant.

“Jewellery still isn’t that common on Chrysala,” Dritz said, leaning over a case which contained an intricate necklace of precious gems in varying sizes, hanging from a smooth golden choker cuff; a miniature model of a star system. “It’s something we’re still learning about. Do you like it? We can leave if you’re not too bothered about this stuff, I’m just always curious.”

Relieved that Dritz wasn’t pressing further, Fera managed to pull himself back together by the time they had walked to the next shop, which sold jewelry, of all things. This put the rest of his thoughts of the Vela out of his mind completely.

He knew these shops existed. But he had never yet visited one. He stared in a sort of awe for a moment, able to easily tell what was quality and what was not, and heading directly to the most expensive cases.

“Of course I like it,” he replied with just a touch of haughtiness. “It’s very fitting to someone of my stature. Especially on Coronus. I’m sorry your planet has no comprehension of it. Traditional Coronal jewelry is quite a sight to behold; also quite heavy. It’s worn for important functions, and addressing the public. But I like smaller pieces to wear more often.”

The prince hadn’t meant to ramble so much, but he was enjoying himself again more than expected. With a careful eye, he studied a pair of earrings which were designed from large red crystals and surrounded with smaller clear ones which seemed to sparkle even without moving. “What would you wear?” he asked in sudden curiosity. “No offense, but it’s hard to imagine you in much jewelry. I think you’d look a bit silly.” He smirked, unable to hold back a smug sort of feeling at the thought. Not everyone could pull off beauty and fashion the way he could.

“Oh yeah? I’d love to see your royal wear sometime, do you have any pictures?” Dritz asked, seemingly enthusiastic about the idea of elaborate, heavy adornment, even if he was still not too sure about what it was for, apart from looking nice? He supposed the royal stuff that Fera was talking about would represent wealth or status… which, really, was fascinating. Chunks of mostly-clear stone carved into a pattern to refract the light, worn on the body to show someone was supposedly better than someone else? Bizarre.

“Nah, I don’t see myself wearing any, to be honest. It’d get in the way of work. I… hm, actually, I do remember once seeing an overseer wearing little rings on her antennae, but she was much more mature, otherwise I think they’d restrict their movement…” he frowned as he recalled that. The thought of something restricting his own antennae made him feel a bit squirmy. “I guess if I were to wear a ring or something, it would be protected under gloves while I work…”

As his eyes roamed over the jewellery, however, he was particularly taken with a choker. The band of it was a plain silvery chain, meaning it would sit at the very base of the neck, and close to it, rather than mid-neck, and suspended in the centre was a simple, round stone. Not clear, like the others, but a rough, opaque one, uncut and dark, roughly the size of the pad of his thumb; rich purple, but more than that, it seemed to be every shade of purple at once, with thin veins of crystals so tiny Dritz could barely register them. The stone looked as though it held an entire galaxy inside it. He immediately perked up and looked at the store clerk, “This, I need this, it’s perfect; how much?”

Thankfully, it was a little closer to the cheaper side of the scale, and Dritz immediately bought it, putting the small box in the breast pocket of his jacket and beaming to himself.

“You’ll have to look it up on your own,” Fera said with a dismissive wave. “I’m sure there’s plenty of information on Coronal royalty available in whatever archive you choose to access.” He smirked to think of Dritz or any Chrysalan in jewelry, whether he had seen anyone before with something similar or not. “Don’t you think these would look perfect on me, though? Not quite as beautiful as myself, but any craftsman would have a hard time achieving that much.”

All of his gloating and vain gestures were going unnoticed, however. When Fera turned to see why Dritz wasn’t responding, he saw that the Chrysalan was instead studying a short necklace with a purplish stone on it, an item Fera was very sure was very boring and plain. He huffed softly to himself, thinking it was incredibly unfair for Dritz to not be paying attention to him instead.

“You said you wouldn’t wear any jewelry,” he said in a sarcastic whine, unable to help himself. Dritz was indeed buying the necklace, and the prince sighed. “You don’t make any sense at all.”

Dritz rolled his eyes, but was smiling good-naturedly. “That’s exactly right, I wouldn’t wear any. And I especially wouldn’t wear this. No, no, this is for Vela. It will look wonderful on her, and it should still be practical while she’s working.” He was aware of what could almost have been a wave of disapproval from the prince. Maybe he was imagining it, but either way, he was quick to touch Fera’s arm and usher him out and to the next store.

This one was tucked away, almost like it was hidden, with an understated exterior of reflective black and silver panels. Inside, however, was an expanse of shiny floor with sleek black and silver décor, and displays of one-of-a-kind clothing pieces. It was almost like a museum in the layout, Dritz thought. It also seemed to cater only to those of a slimmer frame, until Dritz found a notice in flowing Basic script, with multiple translations underneath, explaining that all the clothing was sample sized, and would be tailored to the customer’s exact measurements, and to ask the clerk for a consultation.

“Now, how about this place?” Dritz said in a hushed voice. For some reason, the acoustic of the shining shop made him feel the need to whisper.

Upon hearing that the necklace was for the Vela, Fera frowned heavily and started backing away. He wanted to warn Dritz about being manipulated by the strange Aurian woman but knew it would do no good. Beyond that, he was already being led out of the shop and was happy enough to go without thinking about the situation further.

Instead of being in awe the way Dritz seemed to be when entering the next shop, Fera instantly felt at home. He didn’t even respond, just elegantly floated over to the nearest display, which just happened to be a low-cut dress in shimmering white fabric that he knew would cling to him beautifully.

“I should get this,” he murmured, unable to keep from imagining what Orion’s face would look like when he saw his lover in such a garment. He turned to Dritz and smirked just a little. “You must feel out of place. But that’s alright, at least you had the sense to bring me to an establishment of true quality before we return.”

Indeed, he was now feeling almost benevolent. “What would you purchase here, if you were able? Anything at all. If there is anything.” He waited for an answer while still gazing at the shimmery dress with a nearly affectionate expression. If there was one way to truly settle him, it was to surround him with the presence of the highest quality fashion.

Dritz frowned. They’d been getting along so well, and Fera had seemed to be warming, but then for him to turn that slightly condescending smirk back at him… he couldn’t help the disappointment. Nevertheless, it was a small blip in what was otherwise already a nice time with the prince, so he chose to ignore it.

“I like that, actually,” he said, almost… why did he sound shy, of all things? He wasn’t! The garment behind the case was incredibly formal, the likes of which Dritz had never seen, white and structured around the shoulders and high collar, with finely woven epaulettes; small and subtle against the shoulders. The cuffs and collar had minute stitching in silvery fabric that shimmered blue in the right light. It was paired with dark navy trousers and glossy shoes. It looked almost military, which was strange, as Dritz had never really been interested in the military, or anything relating to it. “Dunno why, it’s not really my usual style.”

He turned to Fera and added, gesturing to the dress he’d been admiring, “Not that you need my approval, but this? Perfect. And even better, you can’t wear that just anywhere. Ori will have to take you out to the fanciest place ever!”

“Of course it’s perfect,” Fera said airily, though he couldn’t help but soften for a moment at the suggestion that Orion would need to take him to a suitable location to wear it. He wasn’t sure the human could afford to do such a thing, but the prince honestly wouldn’t mind having to contribute to the cost.

The outfit Dritz had indicated was… Well. A fancy sort of military style outfit which Fera couldn’t imagine him wearing. Although… maybe. Just maybe. “An excellent choice,” he said loudly, making a sweeping gesture with one hand as though he was about to bestow a high honor upon the Chrysalan. “I can’t help but want to assist you. Clerk, please take this gentleman’s measurements, I require these garments to be made to his sizing with all costs charged to myself.”

He turned back to Dritz, smirking again in delight at possibly having a chance to embarrass him. “And don’t even think about refusing, it’s a gift to you, and I won’t even ask for any form of repayment this time.”

The clerk was already bustling forward eagerly, no doubt pleased to be making a sale, and Fera’s smirk only grew wider.

Dritz gawped for a long moment, his antennae perked almost completely up.

“Fera…” he managed, though he wasn’t too sure where that sentence would possibly go. Just when he thought he had the prince all figured out. Again. “I… Wow. I’m pretty sure it takes a lot to shut me up, but you’ve managed it.” He touched the prince’s arm with a genuine smile, “Much as I wanna refuse, this is too much of a gesture. Thank you. Truly. This is so unexpected.”

Soon, though, the clerk was ushering him away fairly insistently, evidently very eager to make a sale; it was obvious Fera could afford it. As he was being led away, Dritz fixed the Coronal with the smirk of a friendly rival, “I’m gunna repay this; count on it. When you least expect iiit~!”

As Dritz was led away, the clerk hissed something into a back room, and another attendant quickly scurried out, smoothing their sharp suit and, as Dritz could hear, was offering Fera some sort of refreshment.

Quite smug upon finally receiving the exact treatment he deserved, Fera sipped at the glass of champagne the other clerk had quickly fetched him when Dritz went to have his measurements taken. He knew, or didn’t think, the Chrysalan would be able to repay him. That didn’t matter. He had plenty of credits and no real check on his spending. There was no doubt to him that this would smooth over any problems he might have caused with what he said earlier in case the Vela overheard. If she saw how willing he was to pay for expensive items, maybe she would be willing to forget about cursing him.

While Dritz was gone, Fera also casually purchased the dress he had been looking at earlier. The clerk explained it was a popular item and there were many sizes already in stock, one of which did happen to be his own. It was even cut to his particular body shape, proving that apparently at least some other men had something close to his own good taste.

“Did it go well?” he asked Dritz when he finally returned and the champagne glass was drained. “Modern technology is truly a marvelous thing; the garments will be ready in mere minutes. Not as good as on Coronus, but what is?”

True to his word, they had only resumed browsing for about ten minutes before the first clerk reappeared with an elaborately wrapped package containing Dritz’s new clothes, assuring him they would fit perfectly and that the two of them should come back anytime at all. Even if the shop was closed for the evening, something could be arranged for such marvelous patrons as they.

Chuckling, Dritz scrunched his nose up, “It was weird. I’ve never had anyone measure me?” He found himself being handed a small flute of champagne suddenly (but not unwanted). He sipped it delicately, looking around with a grin.

“Hey, so… Tell me about Coronus. You talk about it a lot, so I was wondering if you miss it… What’s so different there?” he asked casually. He knew little to nothing about Coronus itself, and while he had Fera in a chattier sort of mind, it seemed like a good idea to ask.

Fera did seem to mention Coronus all the time. But it didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to talk too much about it in specific detail.

He twirled the stem of his empty glass between his fingers while waiting for one of the clerks to take it, thinking to himself. “I don’t miss it,” he said, tone fairly flat. “In terms of technology and artistry, there is no planet that compares with Coronus. We have a great deal of wealth, and a marvelous religious system which I never paid much mind to. It’s very hot there, you know. Not to me,” he added with a smirk. “But you would burn your skin off just walking on the surface without protective equipment. I wouldn’t recommend a visit, anyway.”

For a long moment he paused, as though he couldn’t think what to say. They had their purchases and their glasses were taken, so he didn’t want to spend any more time conversing on the subject than he had to. “I’m sure it’s fine for anyone else. But living there for me is very… isolating.” He glanced at Dritz a moment, eyelids half lowered. “Let’s head back. I want to see Orion and make sure he’s… ah… fine.”

Isolating.

That’s how Fera, this standoffish, often cold and haughty man, described his homeworld. That word alone was enough to cement Dritz’s compassion for the prince, even if the way he treated Vela would always rub him the wrong way. No one should feel isolated surrounded by their own people, their family…

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I had no idea. But hey, you’re not there now! You’re not isolated here.” He beamed as if to use his own presence to back that up.

“Yeah, we should make sure they’re alright. They’re both great, but I imagine the language barrier could cause problems. But if it means anything, I’ve had a lot of fun. I’d love to do this again, but probably somewhere new? Maybe if we ever find ourselves on the same planet?”

While Fera didn’t respond to most of what Dritz said, a part of him was strangely touched by the other man’s words. They left the shop and began making their way back, the prince lifting one shoulder in an elegant shrug.

“I suppose we could. The problem is finding ourselves on the same planet,” he said with a smirk. He wasn’t about to tell Dritz how much he had enjoyed their time together. It was likely just a random circumstance that might not happen again.

He also didn’t want to say how relieved he was to see Orion, safe and sound even if the Vela was at his side and showing her own relief visibly upon seeing Dritz. It might have seemed funny to anyone else, observing the way they both rushed to their partner’s side in obvious concern.

“We had a great time, I think, so thanks for letting us switch things up like this,” Orion said with enthusiasm, squeezing Fera’s arm. He only showed minimal interest in the packages Fera was carrying, but he wasn’t much of one for shopping anyway. “I think I learned a lot.” Then, to the prince’s horror, he used his hands to gesture in the same way the Vela did. He hadn’t previously really thought about what her teaching him might mean, and he took a step away in concern.

What exactly had he allowed to happen?

“I meeean maybe we could go to a planet together! Maybe all four of us,” Dritz mused. “Like a… Roadtrip. Sort of. In space.”

Even he was surprisingly relieved to see Vela, and scooped her up into his arms as soon as she was near enough, kissing her affectionately. “Hey, flower! You have fun? We had a great time. Fera gave me some helpful tips on my clothes, and I got a couple of things to show you when we get back!”

He seemed even happier when Orion signed to them all, eagerly responding aloud while he responded through Aurian as well, “[Nice work!] You learn quickly. How’re you finding the language between you both?”

“Pretty good,” Orion replied with satisfaction, having thought he did well, personally. “I think I’ve got a good grasp of a lot of key phrases; Vela’s a good teacher. I just told her what I wanted to say and she repeated the gestures for me until I could make them consistently without forgetting.” Why did Fera look so horrified? He sighed quietly, knowing he would have to explain things to the Coronal later. “I just hope it wasn’t too much of a burden for her.” He wanted to add in his hope that Fera had treated Dritz well, but didn’t dare in front of them all.

[He learned quickly,] Vela reassured them both. [It wasn’t any trouble for me. I had a good time.] Fera was acting strange, in her mind, holding onto one of Orion’s arms protectively as though to stop him from signing further. [I didn’t do anything to him,] she added with a hint of disdain, frustrated that he seemed to keep thinking she had.

Soon enough they made their goodbyes and parted ways, much to Vela’s satisfaction. She wanted to be alone with Dritz, and she was highly curious about the packages he was carrying. [What are they?] she asked, leaning closer to him as they walked back to their rooms.

Dritz translated Vela for the benefit of the others, beaming when he happily informed them that Orion was a quick learner. He paused when it came to her parting shot, however, instead assuring Fera that they’d had a nice time, and Orion was well.

As they walked, Dritz threw an arm around Vela, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. He’d had a fun enough time with Fera, but he was hard work. It wasn’t a problem, but he thought that he couldn’t have managed much longer. He smiled, trying to look, and sound, mysterious, “Oh, you’ll see. A sort of… surprise.”


	28. Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gifts are given.

When they arrived at the room, Dritz took a moment to pull Vela into his arms and snuggle her a moment longer, before directing her to the bed, “Have a seat, I’ll be back in a moment, and I can show you what I got.”

He slipped into the bathroom, pulling out the clothes Fera had bought for him. It took a moment or two for him to work out how to properly put them on; the jacket having a few intricate fastenings he was not used to. Once he was ready, he ran his fingers through his hair a few times and, picking out Vela’s necklace, emerged with a wide grin.

“What do you think? Handsome, huh?”

Vela clung to Dritz when he held her close in their room, just enjoying his warmth and being near him again. She was fine apart; at the same time, she didn’t enjoy the idea for too long. As a companion, Orion was very nice, inquisitive and polite, but she did prefer Dritz’s casual chatter and occasional silliness in general.

She was so intrigued by the idea of a surprise that she sat on the bed, leaning forward eagerly and wishing Dritz would hurry. It might not be a good thing if connected to Fera, but Dritz didn’t seem concerned about it.

When he stepped out of the bathroom again, she almost didn’t hear what he said. He was wearing clothes like she had never seen before, smooth and refined looking even to her inexperienced gaze, even though she had nothing to compare them to.

Slowly she rose to her feet and approached him, hardly daring to touch the shining white fabric of the jacket. [Yes, you look very handsome. What did you buy them for? They seem… formal?] she guessed. Eventually she did manage to touch the garments, her hand sliding across the stomach of the jacket to feel how smooth it was.

Dritz beamed, his antennae flicking happily as Vela’s hand found his stomach. While this was usual behaviour for her, he hadn’t expected her to touch him so soon, and that lack of expectation made it all the more pleasant.

“I dunno really… Fera asked me what I liked in the shop and, when I pointed this out, he bought the outfit for me. That’s crazy, right? I’m not sure why, but it’s unexpectedly sweet, isn’t it? Maybe he isn’t so bad.”

He pulled the necklace out from his pocket and presented it to her, smiling warmly, “But this, I did buy. This is for you, flower.”

Fera had bought this for him? Vela nearly stepped away in alarm, but did stare into Dritz’s eyes as though to be sure he meant what he said. [But… why? I thought he doesn’t like us. Well… maybe he likes you.] It wouldn’t bother her if the prince absolutely despised her, so long as he was kind to Dritz. [Do you think he had some sort of motive? Don’t you owe him again?]

What happened next put Fera out of her mind completely. Dritz presented her with an object, saying it was for her, and she had to sit back down on the bed to study it for a long moment. It was a stone attached to a chain, but not just any stone: it was purple in varying shades, rough but sparkling somehow, and at first she didn’t know how to respond to how lovely it was.

Setting it down on her lap, she signed weakly to Dritz, [What is it? What do you mean, it’s for me?]

Dritz shrugged in response to Vela’s questions about Fera. “Dunno, flower. He says it’s not something he expects to be repaid, so… For now I’ll take him at his word. Maybe it was his attempt to be friendlier?” It would make sense for a fairly sheltered royal to think that money equaled kindness, but it was still sweet.

“It’s a gift, silly,” he said, his voice silky and full of affection. He knelt down in front of her, gently taking it and holding it to her neck. “It’s a necklace. Do Aurians have jewellery? It’s just an extra item to wear, for personal taste, to look prettier or show wealth or pride. It… The swirls on it looked like space to me. Like a little nebula in a stone. It just made me think of you, and I knew it would just look amazing on you, so I got it for you. May I…?” He gestured, laying the chain against her neck and holding it in place with a questioning look.

“Gift,” Vela said aloud, testing the word carefully and holding up her hands to show there was no translation. [You give to me?] she signed, taking a guess based on his description.

Her expression softened as he told her that the necklace had reminded her of space and of her. She understood that much. But she shook her head a little sadly, knowing of the concept of jewelry but unfamiliar with the practice. [It does look like that. It’s so beautiful. Thank you. But Aurians don’t wear anything like this, no. Our only metal is the one we mine to keep living, and I’ve never seen a stone like this. It would seem… very strange and wasteful to wear the metal.] The concept made her frown a bit, but surely this was alright. It wasn’t the metal from Aurctas.

[Yes, please. I don’t know how to wear it.] She waited expectantly, wondering if it would really look nice on her.

It wasn’t often anymore that Dritz was struck by the stark differences between their upbringing, but this was one of those times. He chewed his lip for a brief moment, before saying, “This metal has no practical, scientific or mechanical application; it’s shiny and plentiful, so it’s only really used for ‘pretty’ things. So… maybe that makes you feel a little better?” He smiled hopefully.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Dritz praised her speaking as he leaned close to her and carefully fastened the choker around her neck. As expected, it sat just at the base of her neck, the purple seeming to glow against her pale skin. “Perfect,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Might take some getting used to, but it looks great. Better. Amazing, even.”

“So… there’s no sign for 'gift’?” he asked, frowning. He made the gesture for 'give’, but added his other hand touching his chest, “Would that work?”

Vela nodded solemnly before she smiled as well. There was nothing significant about this metal, other than the fact that Dritz had given to her, and that it was beautiful to look at. [It does. Thank you again.]

As he said, she felt it might take time to feel like wearing the necklace was normal, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Dritz seemed to like it a lot, anyway. His idea for a gesture for the word 'gift’ seemed good to her, so she copied it back to him in agreement. She was too curious about how the necklace looked on her, however, and got up to go into the bathroom and look in the mirror.

It did look nice. Vela touched the stone several times, only taking her hand away to admire how it seemed to shimmer when she moved her head. She turned to Dritz, who had followed her in, and signed again. [I really like it. Can I wear it all the time? Except for sleeping or bathing, maybe. I don’t know how it’s usually done.] Still thinking about the concept of a 'gift,’ she continued, [What do you give a gift for? Is there usually a reason? To give someone an object they don’t already own?] The idea was actually fascinating to her, one she hadn’t researched before.

More than liking the gift, Vela liking his gesture for the word made Dritz feel so warm and happy. The gift was important, yes, but for Vela to take his contribution to her language was immeasurably valuable to him.

Following her fondly as she looked over her new necklace, Dritz felt a flutter of adoration in his stomach that spilled out as a warm laugh. “That’s… Actually it, in a way. Gifts are something nice that you want that person to have, to make them think of you. To celebrate something, like a registry day on Chrysala; the day your birth, your name and who you were born to, is recorded for the overseer records, but they’re only celebrated up until you get your first job. Mostly, you can give them because you… Really like someone. Love them, even.” He quickly added, with much more humour, “It’s usually something they don’t own, but sometimes, just sometimes there are comical errors and you get something they already got!”

Vela considered the information carefully, still touching the stone at her neck. [I see. We have no registry on Aurctas. Maybe we should…] There was a count taken every cycle, but that didn’t seem to be the same thing. And for the past dozen years that number had only gone down. It wasn’t something she felt like sharing with Dritz at the moment.

[This will always make me think of you, then,] she signed, turning to look at him with her warmest smile. [And it means you really like me, I think.] She was partially teasing him, but was also suddenly curious about how deep his feelings for her ran. [You said… love?] If gifts were given out of strong liking or love, she felt perhaps she needed to find something to give to Dritz as well.

“Hm? I really like you, the loveliest snowflake in the galaxy? I wonder why!” He teased her gently, before giving her a bright eyed, innocent look, “Did I? I did. I did say love.” He shrugged, his expression becoming warm and a little sheepish.

“Yeah… Gifts obviously don’t prove love or affection; it’s more about how you treat someone, but they are a nice extra. A little addition to a kiss, or a hug, y'know? They don’t have to be big or expensive, it could be something as small as me buying you a cake on our way back here of an evening, or me mentioning a hole in my work gloves and you replacing them. See?”

With a little smile, Vela shook her head. For a while she was simply amused that he had called her a “snowflake.” But as she continued thinking it over, she decided not to press the subject further. Another time she might bring it up; for now she felt as shy as he seemed to be acting at the moment.

[I do see. Thank you for explaining it to me.] She felt even more determined to get a gift for Dritz, not to prove anything, but to show him it was very likely she felt the same way. For now, she put her arms around him and let him pull her close, their tender exchange of glances followed by equally tender, sweet kisses.

-

Several days had passed since the shopping trip and Dritz’s gift, and Vela was still pondering exactly what would be the right thing to get for him. She wouldn’t let it distract her while at her job, but today she had to tell herself to focus quite a few more times than she usually did.

They had nearly completed the work in the main engine room, and were mostly running tests on any leftover parts that still needed checking. Vela was fairly confident in her work by now, at least as far as these engines were concerned, and volunteered to work inside one of the more narrow panels across the room from Orion and Dritz. She frowned as she focused intently, unable to hear anything over the thrumming of flux coil just to the right of her ear. It was better this way, as she didn’t want to be tempted to ask for help unless she absolutely had to.

Even though Vela had said she might not keep her necklace on for certain things, Dritz couldn’t think of a moment he hadn’t either seen it on, or heard it shift under her clothes when they were cuddled close to one another. It was heartwarming to think of it against her, as it was to think she was wearing it and potentially thinking of him all the more for doing so.

Their work continued to go well, with him being able to leave more and more in Vela’s capable hands while he worked on other parts. As it happened, there was little he and Orion could do while Vela was working inside the panel; her safety and the potential of her needing help meant it wouldn’t be possible. Dritz kept his distance though, knowing she had the knowledge and tools she would need. It gave him the chance to ask the human something, anyway…

“Hey, Ori, can I ask you something…? Fera said something weird while we were out. He asked me if I was okay, in a weird, concerned way. It seemed like he thought Vela was in control of me or something? Has he mentioned this to you at all…? I know it sounds really odd, but I thought you might be able to help me out,” he explained, knowing full well how he sounded.

Orion immediately turned from the display panel he was watching when Dritz mentioned Fera, unable to keep from frowning as the question was asked. He had known something had likely happened during their time together, but getting information like that out of the prince was impossible, and he really had to wait for Dritz to approach him on his own.

“Well, he hasn’t mentioned that specifically,” he replied with a small sigh, leaning against the console. “But as we talked about before, he is sorta strange around her. Like he mistrusts her. And after that night, when I tried to show him what she taught me of her language, he basically told me to stop or he was going to take the Radiant Sun and just… leave. Which is, uh, kind of an extreme reaction, right? So it has to be her signing?” He had to pause for another sigh. It seemed he did a lot more sighing these days, despite also being quite happy with Fera.

“So yeah… it’s odd, but Fera does some odd things, so I’m not surprised. How does he think Vela’s controlling you, though? Like… she tells you what to do?” He had to smile a little, thinking of the Aurian being the dominating type. She was sweet and even-tempered, as far as he had seen, and he couldn’t imagine her trying to tell Dritz what to do all the time.

Dritz snorted with amusement at the thought of Vela, hands on hips and a deep frown, angrily bossing him about. It probably should be as cute as he thought it sounded.

“That is an extreme reaction, even by what I’ve seen are his standards. I wonder if he doesn’t trust her because she doesn’t speak. Like, speak speak, how the rest of us do? But then, that wouldn’t explain why he was so upset with you for signing; he knows that you can speak. At least, I’d hope so!” he stuck his tongue out playfully before folding his arms and hunching his shoulders high. “The look in his eyes… I dunno, it didn’t seem like he thought she was being bossy, more that she held some kind of power over me, maybe? His tone changed a couple of times, and quite quickly… My friend, your boyfriend is very odd.” He beamed. Ori wouldn’t take it as an insult, he was sure.

And anyway, odd was good. Odd made for a more interesting galaxy.

It was impossible not to; Orion had to laugh at what Dritz was saying to him. “Yeah, he’s odd. Definitely. But I kinda like it. Or I do most of the time, when it’s not causing any problems.” It was also good to be able to talk freely like this, as Fera would likely go into a grumpy fit at being called odd. Not that that would bother him, but he didn’t like to upset his lover too many times in one day.

“So more like actual control… like, literally. Huh.” Orion thought hard, rubbing a hand through the stubble along the side of his jaw. “Another thing I can tell you about Fera is he’s very superstitious. One time he pushed me - pretty hard, too - away from an open shop window before I could walk directly in front of it. He said it was bad luck? Something about interior windows being open? I didn’t quite understand. And once he told me about this strange fear he has of those with what he called "magical powers.” After he said that, I did some research on Coronal society. Turns out they’re all pretty superstitious, and their religious system warns against stuff like “evil magic” and “soul possession” and all sorts of other weird things. Even if he doesn’t go in for the religion that much, he sure seems to believe in those parts"

He paused to give Dritz a sheepish look. “So maybe he thinks Vela is performing evil magic with her gestures instead of proper speaking? She’s controlling you like that. And by having me learn it, I could control him too. What do you think?”

Dritz listened with wide eyes, his chin quivering as he bit back his laughter. He knew very little about the Coronal, but this was a fascinating thing to keep in mind. Just… Strange to think of the prince as being the superstitious type.

“That’s almost endearing,” he giggled. “Aw, you two are cute.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, “But yeah… I guess that makes sense. Oh, but hey, just in case he’s ever managed to get into your head about it; Vela has no strange power over me. Her language doesn’t cause any sort of… Bad thing?” He laughed openly, shaking his head.

It made some semblance of sense, or at least explained some of Fera’s odd behaviour.

“No, no, no,” Orion insisted, laughing more. “I never dreamed that was a possibility. Of course she doesn’t. But now that we’ve figured out what it must be, I’ll work on getting Fera to understand that he has the wrong impression about Vela. Maybe he can get to a point where he believes it, and can start treating her more nicely. I apologize on his behalf until then. I know it can get frustrating.”

He continued to grin, shrugging exaggeratedly in a bit of embarrassment. He still wasn’t used to being addressed as part of a couple. “Well… thanks. Speaking of cute couples, though, you and Vela are pretty much at the top of the list. I think she adores you. Lucky guy.” His smile turned a little sly. “Any chance you might, y'know… consider taking her back to Chrysala to meet your parents someday?”

Dritz waved Orion off, smiling, “I’m only a bit upset on her behalf, so I’ll pass that on to her. I can imagine it’s the nicest feeling in the galaxy, but she’s tough, I don’t think it bothers her too much. Still, thank you.”

He wanted to act modestly towards the compliment, but he did think he and Vela were quite the cute pair, especially when he caught how they fit together in the reflections of gleaming shop fronts they passed on their way to or from work. Or anywhere really. He smiled, “My family might take a while to come around to the idea of me finding an offworlder as a partner. They’re surprisingly traditional when it comes to offspring, and because we’re, uuuhhh, not biologically compatible, we wouldn’t have children? Not that it’s come up, or that it’s really anything we’ve… You know what I mean. I’m sure.” He chuckled nervously before adding, “How about your family? They gonna be meeting our favourite royal any time soon?”

“Ah, really?” Orion asked with a little frown. He hadn’t thought the question would be too problematic in any way. “So they would mind more that you two can’t have children, rather than the fact that she’s an offworlder? But they will come around, you think?” He also hadn’t considered the difference in Dritz and Vela’s biology, a little troubled that they would have to sacrifice this, but glad to see they didn’t seem to think it was really an issue to their being together. “What about, y'know… multiple partners? No offense intended, I just heard it’s commonly done on Chrysala.”

To have the same question directed back at him admittedly brought a surprised look to the human’s face. “Er… hadn’t thought about it yet, actually. We’ve not been together as long as you and Vela have. But… I guess… maybe? If I can find my parents.” He gave a fond sigh. “They’re always traveling to one corner of the galaxy or another. I’ve never even been to Earth, you know. Born in space, named for space, cursed to have permanent wanderlust through space, I guess…” He broke off into a sheepish grin. “But I guess so. They’d never believe their son had taken up with royalty! Too bad about his parents, though.” For the moment he didn’t comment further, shifting his feet uncomfortably.

“No offense taken, Ori. It’s nice to have someone ask in a respectful way, y'know? Some aliens can’t get behind the idea of loving in multiples, or someone needing something that can’t be provided by their primary. But… Vela is all I want. She’s all I need. If I took another partner I’d be preoccupied with the fact that they aren’t her. My family will find that weird, even though my father has a partner who has no one else! Dad is his primary and only, so I dunno what’s so weird about it,” Dritz laughed, “Chrysala must seem odd to everyone else. But… Yeah. The culture is very much about big families. You end up being your own colony. It’s one of the reasons for the tiered farms, we all take up so much room!”

He listened fondly to Orion, at least up until the mention of Fera’s parents. He thought they’d have to be some scary folk to have raised the hotheaded prince.

“Hey, Fera’s an adult, they can’t force him to do anything. Try not to worry about it,” he said kindly, patting the scruffy man’s shoulder.

Had something gotten into his eyes? He felt they were getting just the faintest bit misty while hearing Dritz talk about how he only wanted Vela and no one else. It was incredibly sweet to learn just how deeply he felt about her. “Hey, well, I think that’s great,” he replied softly. “And your dad’s partner proves that not all Chrysalans are the same or follow the majority. So I think you’ll be fine once they get used to the idea. Who knows, you might unexpectedly find yourself with a lot of children anyway.” He was joking, as shown by the playful grin and nudge he gave Dritz, but he also supposed it was possible, remotely. “You all don’t seem odd to me, by the way. All societies have their own uniqueness which I think is just really great.”

He sobered again quickly when discussing Fera’s parents. Dritz hadn’t asked further, but while he had the time to talk about it, he kind of felt like doing so. “That’s true, he’s an adult. But he’s also royalty on Coronus and has certain… expectations. Apparently he has a mate already chosen for him? A female Coronal, though he says he has absolutely no interest. I just wonder what he’s going to do. If he really wants to be with me, would he renounce his claim to the throne? Or will they take him back by force? Or… maybe he’ll just decide to leave me and go back.” He grimaced, quickly holding up both hands. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to get so negative. I’d just… like him to stay with me, if at all possible.”

Dritz shook his head firmly, “Nah. I don’t know the man well at all, but anyone can tell that he’s not going anywhere you’re not unless someone actually drags him away. You know what I mean? If he wanted to be anywhere near Coronus, he’d still be there. With… did you say he has someone promised to him?” He pulled a face, finding the notion completely bizarre despite what he had just been saying about his own home being seen as weird. “That’s ridiculous… do they even know each other? I didn’t think that sort of practice was still going on anywhere. I think the first Chrysalans did that a looong time ago. I heard some rumour, some speculated 'history’, that they wanted to remove the human 'contamination’ from the populace… but I doubt it.”

Up until he’d finished talking, he’d managed to put the idea of himself and Vela finding themselves with a child to one side, but once he’d stopped he thought about what a half Chrysalan, half Aurian child might be like. Chrysalans were very minimally compatible with humans; rare as that coupling was, it was even rarer for them to produce a child.

He shook his head, blinking, “Heh, the whole science of alien reproduction has broken me a bit, there. Anyway, I think you and Fera should be fine. He doesn’t seem to be that bothered about his status unless it gets him something, much as he loves to talk about it, so I think he’d renounce…”

“Well,” Orion replied with a faint smile. “I do hope you’re right. I want to believe he’d choose to stay with me. And yeah, though he won’t tell me anything else about her. But he’s met her… twice? Said he can’t stand the thought. So I guess I’m safe, but… it is the status that worries me. I know he enjoys the privileges, so can he do without?”

He gave another sigh, more exasperated this time, and shrugged his shoulders. “Hell, this isn’t the time for a conversation like this. I want to have hope and good faith that things will turn out alright until proven otherwise. Thanks, Dritz.” Returning the friendly slap to the Chrysalan’s shoulder, he paused to consider him a moment. “I sometimes completely forget there’s some human in your ancestry. I guess I shouldn’t forget that, but it doesn’t much matter me to what someone’s background is composed of. Still, it’s kind of interesting to think about.”

After another moment, he paused and looked over at Vela. “Want to check on her? She’s been quiet for a while now. Er, heh… no joke intended there.”

The Chrysalan gave an odd shrug, tilting to one side. He obviously saw Orion’s side of things, and he could certainly identify with worrying about one’s partner’s happiness and the longevity of the relationship, but he also felt strangely confident in their relationship from his outside perspective.

“I dunno… A place of privilege where everything is provided for you but you’re forced into something and kept apart from the thing making you the happiest, or having to work slightly harder but having potentially everything that’s truly important? I know what I’d pick. Plus, you’re damn good looking, who’d need a kingdom with this face next to you?” He laughed as he gestured flamboyantly to Orion’s handsomely angular features.

“Oh, we all forget about the human part,” he said dismissively, “There are the odd purists who get weirdly offended if you mention their human blood.” As he spoke, Dritz plopped down to his knees and slipped towards where Vela had been lying to do her repairs.

He touched her arm very gently and grinned, “Everything okay there, beautiful?”

Listening to Dritz was really starting to put Orion’s mind at ease. It was like he knew just what to say to make the human feel better. “You know, my friend, I think you’re absolutely right. Not sure about the handsome part, plenty of us in the galaxy,” he concluded, beginning to laugh in a way which showed he thought that was genuinely funny.

Meanwhile, Vela had been so focused on what she was doing that she wouldn’t have heard the conversation even if the noise of the engine hadn’t been directly in her ears. Cautiously she moved her head out at the touch on her arm, nodding when she could tell what Dritz had asked. [Yes. I think it’s done. Can you check it for me? I’m worried that I did something wrong.] It wasn’t acting wrong in any way she could tell, but it was better to show caution.

She slid out from under the panel, making room for Dritz to lay down and inspect it instead. A bit anxious, she watched him carefully. It was the first time she had done such a significant piece of work without direct supervision, which was probably contributing to her anxious feeling.

Whistling cheerily, Dritz ducked under the panelling and quickly ran through the process that Vela had just done himself. He skipped a few of the completely fool-proof steps that he knew she’d have done without fail, and a couple that he’d seen her do. With a wide smile he followed the trail of repairs done by a tentative but knowledgeable hand. Before she’d started, Dritz had taken stock of what the panel looked like, and he could see improvements that had not strictly been necessary, but would strengthen the overall work.

He wriggled out and beamed, “Perfect. You even tidied a couple of minor bits!” He signed proudly, [you are amazing job.]

Finally releasing her breath in a soft exhalation, Vela nodded and began to smile, until Dritz’s improper signing first made her frown, then abruptly break into her silent “laughter,” sides shaking in mirth.

[Thank you, I’m glad it’s alright. But maybe you meant to say 'you did an amazing job?’] she signed at him when she was able, showing him the correct way to move his hands. [You should practice a little more, the way Orion did with me.]

“Uh oh, Dritz,” the human chimed in, also laughing. “What did you do? From what I can tell, Vela thinks you need a little more practice with your signing? Maybe we should have a session together, what do you think?”

He looked around the engine room, expression becoming far softer. “You know, I think we’re just about done here. Nice work, you two. What an amazing experience this has been, honestly. Getting to work with two friends like you at my side.” Abruptly he cleared his throat, grinning. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get so sentimental.”

Dritz pulled a face, averting his eyes as an uncharacteristic blush crept in over his cheeks.

“Actually, I uh…” He signed slowly and carefully, [I wanted to say you’re amazing. And you did a great job. I-] He went to sign something else, his hands just starting to form the word, but he seemed to decide against it, instead shrugging sheepishly. “Guess I got carried away. I was excited with what you’d done.”

He brushed himself off as he listened to Orion, thinking idly that he should definitely practice more, even if he didn’t get to do so with the human.

“Aw, Oriii! That’s so cute,” he gushed, throwing an arm around the skinny man and squeezing him gleefully. “I can’t speak for my beautiful flower, but I’ve had the most fun. I’d work with you both every day if I could.”

Watching Dritz’s reaction and signing closely, Vela felt a little bad that she had tried to correct him. He wasn’t really that accustomed to signing, and if he had been excited, it would have been easier to slip up. [That’s alright. It’s understandable.] But what had he been about to sign before stopping? It was hard to tell.

She did have to agree with the sentiments expressed by both Orion and Dritz, however. [I think it was fun too. And Dritz taught me so much, I’m grateful to him.] Her words were accompanied by a rush of affection for the Chrysalan, thinking that evening she would have to express her gratitude much better than she could currently, with someone else watching.

-

Several weeks had passed as they continued to work throughout the rest of the ship, saving a good amount of credits. It also took this long for Vela to figure out what she wanted to give to Dritz as a gift.

The object had been sitting under their bed for two days now. Every time Vela had tried to give it to him, she felt too nervous to do so. She had never given a gift to anyone. What if she did it wrong? Or had chosen the wrong thing?

Tonight, she felt brave enough to try. Dritz was sitting on the bed, going over their earnings from the work they had done, which would actually be concluded the next day. Vela took a deep breath and approached him, gently taking the datapad from his hands and setting it aside as he looked at her with a surprised expression.

[I have something I want to give you.]

Whistling to himself, Dritz was scrolling through the numbers (the very significant numbers) on the final transfer they’d received. The work had paid handsomely, more than he’d expected given the varying level of skill involved; the simpler jobs were paid at the same rate as the more complex ones and, from what he could tell, their lunch breaks hadn’t been removed. He tapped his chin, wondering if that was some sort of mistake he’d need to bring up, resolving to check with Orion later.

The work had genuinely been some of the most fun he’d ever had on a project. Even if they hadn’t been working together, he, Vela and Orion had met for lunch each day and alternated between chatting and signing (good practicing opportunities as those lunchtimes were) while they ate.

The datapad was suddenly being carefully removed from his hands. He looked up questioningly before smiling cheekily at her explanation. “Oh? Well, I always want what you have to give, flower,” he chuckled, leaning forward and giving her a peck on the cheek.

Vela’s smile was a little shy at Dritz’s response, but she turned her head slightly to kiss him back when he leaned forward. Without waiting any longer, lest she lose her nerve, she got down on the floor to retrieve the object from under the bed, which he obviously hadn’t been expecting.

For the past two weeks she had been experimenting during the time when Dritz continued to sleep after she had gotten all the rest she needed for the night. Luckily he always seemed quite worn out by the events of the day prior, and he never awoke to see what she was doing. Only his snoring accompanied her experimentation, which had amused her more than once for some reason.

The tea flowers needed to be somewhat fresh, she had first discovered. Only those she kept for less than a day turned out to be suitable to use. Ultimately, she had chosen one in beautiful shades of blue and purple which reminded her of Dritz’s skin. The next problem had been finding a way to preserve it safely without it withering. She had thought coating it in a resin preparation might work to preserve the petals, but it had ended up looking too stiff and shattered easily.

Her final solution had been a piece of technology which actually took a little invention on her part: she had bought a small plexiglass dome on a light metal base and inserted a device she had managed to put together with some instruction from the datanet. It kept the air within the dome at just the right pressure to stop the flower from wilting. As it turned out, some of the machine shops had been open quite late at night and had more than enough of the relatively obscure parts she needed to construct it.

Vela handed Dritz the dome with the tea flower in it, unable to look at his face yet. [I made this for you. It’s a gift, like the necklace.] She paused to touch the stone around her neck tenderly. [I know it’s not the same, it’s not really something you can always take with you. But I couldn’t think of anything to buy for you. So… I hope it’s alright. These remind me of her our first times together, before we knew what would happen.] She did glance up then, though she nervously laced her fingers together in her lap while she waited to see what he thought.

When Vela ducked down under the bed, Dritz’s eyes widened in confusion. but when she returned with a small dome, containing a flower, his expression was one of adoration. He took it without any words, as he couldn’t even summon the capacity to speak at that moment. Looking it over carefully, he could see that the flower was a small blossom used in the tea Vela liked, and a remarkably close colour to his skintone.

“Vela, this is amazing…” he said softly, looking up at her with a beaming grin, his yellow eyes shining. “It’s wonderful, I love it.” He reluctantly, carefully, set the dome to one side, noting that the flower didn’t move, remaining perfectly centred as he did so. The culmination of their work and their friendship, then blossoming relationship, summed up in one of the first things they shared. Dritz felt a strong fluttering sensation in his stomach as he looked at her. Then he threw his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug and kissing her cheek and forehead. Quietly, as though correcting himself, he added, “You’re wonderful. I love you.”

If it hadn’t been obvious from what he said, Vela would have known how Dritz felt about the gift anyway. The look on his face told her so much.

She allowed herself to be drawn in tightly, so very happy that he liked the flower, but felt her arms weaken around him with his next words. For a moment she didn’t dare to move, then pulled back slightly to look at him and sign.

[I’m glad you like it. It took me a while to figure it out. And I…] At first she hadn’t known how to respond but she finally tried some words aloud. “Love… you.”

They had come out hoarsely, but she knew they were true from the rush she felt in her heart. For some reason, her normal eye was welling up with tears and she had to look away, but she extended her hands toward Dritz again so he would take them in his own.

Dritz exhaled sharply, as though he’d been holding a breath, and took her hands tightly in his own, his eyes stinging and his throat feeling tight and swollen in a way he didn’t often feel.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more incredible thing from anyone. Ever,” he laughed, cupping her cheek as he surreptitiously brushed a thumb over his cheek, checking for tears. “Your voice is lovely.”

He bundled her back into his arms, pulling her to lie atop him on the bed, his broad smile right back where it was before, even if his eyes were still shiny. Nuzzling against her hair, he picked the tea flower up again, looking it over and squeezing her gently. “And this is perfect. I need to keep it somewhere safe, where I can see it all the time.”

Feeling how warm and soft Dritz was, Vela snuggled down on top of him while trying to figure out how she could possibly feel any happier. He had loved the gift, and he said he loved her… how could any of it be better? This was never a place or situation she had thought she would be in years ago, cold and usually lonely on Aurctas. Now there was warmth and friendship and love, no longer a need to worry about the constant struggle for survival that had consumed her life previously. Her only wish now was for the rest of her people to get to experience the same.

After a little while she had to sit up to sign, which was awkward, but Dritz didn’t seem to mind much. [I’m glad you like it. I adapted a concept someone else had made to keep plants from drying out, but I had to make it smaller. I think it should keep working as long as I inspect it every now and then to be sure the mechanism is functioning correctly.]

This had all been rather dry commentary on what was a sentimental object, but Vela didn’t feel affected by that. She lay back down again, resting her face against Dritz’s neck a moment before beginning to kiss it softly, starting on the side and working her way over to the base of his throat, lips softly pressing there more than once.

Helping Vela sit up, straddling him with the dome resting on his stomach, Dritz stroked her thighs, smiling as he listened to her explain the device keeping the blossom intact. From the look on his face, he was visibly impressed, and interested. His science knowledge only stretched so far as mechanics and engineering; he was vaguely aware of the chemical reactions within a ship, but only enough to determine what could be wrong. Vela’s sharp mind only reaffirmed how much he felt the words he’d spoken before.

“You, my flower, are a genius,” he said proudly, picking up the blossom and kissing it lightly before putting it to one side for safe keeping. “Thank you. I love it even more knowing you built that device yourself.”

Soon, she leaned down again, and while he was anticipating more cuddling, the soft lips against his neck and chest were more than welcome, and he tilted his head to allow her more room, a quiet chirp in his throat.

Feeling the vibration of Dritz’s gentle buzz against her lips, Vela glanced up at him with a smile. Whenever he did that, or made his soft chirping sounds, she knew he was very pleased with the situation.

He had moved his head back, and she took the opportunity to kiss the underside of his chin, working her way down the center of his chest and leaning back far enough to start kissing his stomach. It took her a bit longer before she was satisfied there, but she stopped to give him another smile, one which might almost appear flirtatious.

Sitting up again, she removed her tunic so they were both wearing no shirts, tossing hers to the side before laying down to press herself against him. The simple touch of his bare skin on hers was still enough to set her pulse racing. She kissed his lips then, feeling their confession of love had somehow made her passion burn brighter.

Dritz felt a tremble of delight go through him as Vela's lips brushed against his skin. Every wisp of her breath against him heightened his senses. He trailed his fingers down her back, sighing.

This seemed to prompt Vela into removing her top, and he took a long moment to admire her lithe frame as she sat back against his wider hips and thighs; the contrast between their colouring and size had always been something that excited him.

Holding her carefully as their lips met again, he flipped their positions, mimicking her previous path with his lips and fingers.

Dritz effortlessly moving her always delighted Vela in a way she didn’t understand, but didn’t feel the need to. It was enough for her to simply enjoy the experience. He was larger and stronger than her, and all she knew was she found it attractive.

As he copied her movements, kissing from her throat down to her stomach, Vela found herself responding with restless movements of longing. It never took much for her to respond to Dritz’s actions when they were being intimate, but this time she wanted to savor the experience as long as possible.

She reached down to start pushing her leggings off, finding Dritz more than willing to assist in this, as well as removing the rest of his own clothes. They fell into each other’s arms again, their limbs tangling together as they kissed passionately. Vela pressed herself tightly against him, admiring the contrasting shades of blue against white skin. Sometimes she wished she could speak aloud to him while they enjoyed each other in this way, but there were still many things which needed no words.

In the months since they first began exploring one another’s bodies and stimulants, Dritz had learnt every delicate, subtle movement that gave him a clue as to what Vela wanted, and he had listened to them, but in that moment, he was almost unsure, as her usual responses were different, unhurried. It encouraged him to touch her differently, to change how he moved his lips or tongue, continuing to learn.

When they collapsed against each other, the Chrysalan was vaguely aware, through a euphoric haze, that they had been in bed for… Wow. Some time. Approaching two hours, unless he missed his guess. He pulled Vela into his arms once more, arranging them so he wouldn’t squash her (his limbs being such a dead weight as they were), lazily kissing her neck again.

“Wow,” he mumbled repeatedly for a while between kisses, almost to himself. “I… I hope we didn’t have any plans tonight. I really want to just hold you and not move.”

It took some time for Vela to reply. All the little things they had done differently this time had amounted to something truly amazing, a level of pleasure she hadn’t thought possible, even if Dritz had given her so much before. Their bodies wouldn’t need to be compatible for her to love him, but right at that moment, she was so very glad they were.

When she felt able to move, she pulled back to sign, shaking her head weakly. [We didn’t have any. But I kind of do, to stay in bed with you as long as I want.] Her signing was somewhat lazy and simplistic, as she was in a highly relaxed state. [Everything you did was wonderful. I… Thank you. I hope it was so good for you, too.]

Long moments of cuddling, contented sighs, and soft kisses later, she had more to say. [We did well at our first job. So well that I think we can figure out what to do next. Will we go to Chrysala? I was looking forward to that.] She was also incredibly nervous, but the lingering sensations all throughout her body had pushed that aside for the moment.

Tracing figures of eight over her skin, Dritz shook his head, an amused little smile on his lips. “You don’t have to thank me, silly. And the fact that it was so good for you makes it even better for me,” he said softly. With his mind replaying it over… Well, maybe if he weren’t so pleasantly tired.

“We did great, I think we were paid just a bit more than is usual. Definitely a sign of a job well done if you get tips,” he chuckled. He looked at her seriously, if slightly surprised, “You’re looking forward to it? That’s great, I can’t wait to show you my home. Well, my old home. Homeworld. Y'know what I mean. Anyway, yeah, we can head to Chrysala in the next few days, if you want? We need some supplies and stuff, but not a lot, so it shouldn’t take us long to prepare.”

Lazily smiling, Vela found herself unable to sign again as she thought about how enjoyable it must have been for Dritz if she had enjoyed it more than any time previously. How was it possible to feel so good?

However, when Dritz started talking in more detail about their impending trip to Chrysala, the doubt began to creep back in just a little. It was true she would get to see his home, but beyond that, she had been worried about meeting those close to him, and about the overseer having interest in her proposal. [In a few days, then. We can gather all the supplies and make sure everything else here is settled,] she signed, deciding not to bring up her concerns just yet. No matter what, she was going to go through with this, worries or no.

The rest of their evening passed pleasantly, with lighthearted talk and an abundance of warm snuggling and kisses, until the pair eventually fell asleep together, wrapped in the arms of the one they loved.


	29. Chrysala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela make the trip to Dritz's home planet, seeking help for Aurctas.

The next few days did go fast. The busyness helped keep Vela’s mind off her worries, but once they had bought all their supplies, packed and loaded everything on the Nova and said goodbye to Orion (with an added grudging farewell from Fera), she was getting nervous again.

[It seems like not long ago when we were headed to Trelos like this,] she remarked, trying to keep her hands from trembling as she gestured. They were both currently watching Hesperus Alpha dwindling in the viewscreen as their ship pulled away from it. She couldn’t look away, now, wondering if it would be best to just go back, to forget it all. But her people needed her.

What was this sudden fear?

It wasn’t until their trip grew closer, until they were boarding that morning, that Dritz began to feel the beginnings of his own nervousness. He was not too worried about returning home, or seeing his family, but if he were to be honest, he was concerned about how they would react to his relationship with a “human” (because that’s probably what they’d see her as), and indeed to the fact that Vela was all he wanted. That part might not be so bad; it wasn’t exactly freakish to be monogamous. He reasoned that it wasn’t freakish to fall for an alien either, of course, but it was something that hadn’t come up before.

“I know, right? But at the same time, doesn’t Trelos seem like… a different world entirely? Almost like a dream?” he asked as he engaged the stability controls. “This will be good, though. It’s going to be hard work, but I think we can do this.” He stood and moved to where Vela was, kneeling in front of her, “It’s going to be great. You’re going to be great. You’re doing a wonderful thing for the Aurians, flower. And I can’t wait to show my family the beautiful person who chose me to be hers.”

Vela nodded absently, though she turned her gaze to Dritz as he knelt in front of her. The mention of her people helped to remind her that she was doing the right thing, but the mention of his family still raised so many doubts in her mind.

[It does seem different. I have a better feeling about approaching your leaders than I did on Trelos. But your family… I guess I’m worried. I’m very different from a Chrysalan. So different that our… reproductive systems are incompatible.] She might as well state it plainly. Though she had developed the ability to interact with Dritz outwardly, her inner parts were not the same as a Chrysalan female’s would be. [And my appearance as well, but I suppose that’s of lesser concern. They are not totally unused to offworlders, from what you’ve told me.]

Still she remained restless, behaving as though very distracted, unusual for her most of the time. And their flight had only just begun, how was she to continually handle this?

Neither of them had ever spoken aloud about their incompatible biology, and it did take Dritz by surprise for a moment. Of course, they needed to talk about it plainly, it was just weird for him to acknowledge.

“Yeah. I’m a bit worried too, flower, so I do understand, I promise,” he said softly, stroking her leg with a smile. “But beyond that, you’re a sweet person; intelligent and wonderful and, as my family will see, good for me.” It felt odd to admit, but she was. Dritz was known to be frivolous, too laid back. He knew Vela would keep him focused and thinking about what was truly important. “They are unused to non-Chrysalans, yes, but what will matter in the end is how we feel about each other, I’m sure of it.”

Vela nodded slowly, thinking over Dritz’s words. With her own attempt at a smile, she bent down to kiss the top of his head. If she was good for him, if they could see how much he meant to her… of course they would understand. They had to.

[Alright. It’s funny, I’m more nervous about this than about talking to your overseers.] She gave Dritz a hand to help him to his feet again, even if he didn’t need it. [I’ll try not to worry about what your family will think, for now. Maybe we should go over our plan?]

After being certain all systems were reading operational, Vela led Dritz into the Nova’s kitchen. She let him have a seat while she began to expertly prepare two cups of the Chrysalan blossom tea, thinking it would be comforting and familiar now.

[What do we do first?] she asked him seriously, after setting a cup down in front of him. [Do we go straight to your family, or an overseer? Will any of them do, or is there a specific one to see?] Maybe knowing which to expect first would help her better prepare.

Dritz allowed himself to be helped up, and they made their way to the kitchen together. He’d been thinking for a long time about what they would need to do.

Pulling his legs up so that he could sit cross-legged on the bench at the table, he sighed softly, “I think I know the course of action to take. We need to go to the offices and see if Szna, the overseer for the district my family lives in, will see us or if we need to get an appointment. But she’s a feisty leader, I think she’ll be easily persuaded. Like I said though, it’ll be the rest of the overseers that will need convincing. We’ll escalate it, flower. Don’t worry, we will make it work, and Szna will be on side. We’ll all fight for the Aurians.” He smiled confidently, a great deal of fire in his eyes. “She’s very focused on the less fortunate, she organises a lot of support for poorer neighbourhoods, rare as they are. She’ll be eager to help; we’re lucky she’s the first port of call.” He quickly added, “It’s not really the done thing for a citizen to go to the overseer of another district; it’s seen as disrespectful, like you don’t believe in their ability to lead.”

Dritz’s level of determination almost surprised Vela. It was plain to see he felt strongly about helping her people, and she wondered if it was only for her sake, or more that he was a good person. She thought it must be both, in nearly equal measure.

Encouraging Dritz to drink his tea, she smiled back at him. [That is good to know. She will attempt to help us, I’m sure, as you already know what she’s like. I hope the other leaders can be persuaded.] For a little while she blew gently at her teacup to cool it, watching the blossom swirl slightly. [So we will go to her first? What is landing on Chrysala like? Will they need to board the ship and inspect it, especially since it’s not Chrysalan in origin?] These small matters were helping her take her mind off her bigger worries, and she was glad Dritz was willing to talk through them with her.

Dritz waved a hand dismissively, “Nah. Chrysala doesn’t experience a lot of crime, or the like, so they’re not too hot on security detail. They’ll do a quick scan for hazards and unregistered lifeforms, but that’ll be it. We orbit in the import traffic until we’re contacted, then we get our clearance and register ourselves and the ship. It might be just a little awkward because they’ve got me registered to ol’ Pappy, but I should be able t’ sweet talk them.” He smiled, “Hey, and you’ll get to hear full Chrysalan. I’ll sign everything for you though, so you know what I’m saying. Don’t worry, though, every Chrysalan is taught Basic, it’s only the very elderly that don’t like to speak it. As soon as I ask, they’ll switch to Basic. With the ship being alien, I might not even need to ask.”

He took an eager gulp of his tea; it was what he referred to as ‘perfect chugging temperature.’ Gazing at Vela, he reached over and stroked her arm. “I’m honestly excited to show you my homeworld. I love it there. There are more industrial places, remnants of before, when we were strictly all work and no fun, but the further into the cities it gets brighter and more lively. I think we’d do well to go to the offices first though, which will take us through my district.”

Dritz seemed to be relaxing slowly, more excited to show Vela the planet than worrying about what might happen. He hoped it was helping her too.

Vela sipped her tea at a slower pace, listening to everything Dritz told her and storing it away to remember later. He seemed to be getting excited about the idea of arriving on Chrysala, and she couldn’t help but catch on to a little of that excitement. It did make her happy to see Dritz happy.

[Alright. Thank you, knowing that will help. I look forward to seeing how wonderful it is, and hearing more of your language. I wish that I could learn some but I… can’t make those noises at all.] It was difficult enough to speak Basic aloud, but the chirps and buzzes of the Chrysalan language were quite beyond her. At least she might be able to converse in Basic someday, with enough practice.

[There will not be as much to show you, when we finally go to my planet. But my people need a world where they can rebuild their culture first. Someday… we might be able to see what their civilization is like.] They might not get to see the fullness of their plan realized, but setting the groundwork and seeing the beginnings of it would go a long way to settle her mind. [At least you will be able to talk to the other Aurians when we arrive. They may trust you more this way.] If Dritz focused, at least, he was fairly good with her sign language. This gave her another idea. Leaning forward earnestly, she signed again.

[I want to greet some of your people aloud in Basic. Especially your family and your overseer. But I don’t want to just say hello, I want to say something to show how glad I am to meet them, something they would be impressed to hear from a stranger to their planet. Do you know what might work? I will need to start practicing before we arrive.]

Dritz shook his head, “It’s not about seeing sights, particularly. I want to see where you came from, what shaped something so seemingly perfect. But… I do think it’s important for me to understand what life has been like there too, flower.” After a serious second, he laughed, “No, and I wouldn’t ever expect you to learn Chrysalan. It’s remarkable enough that Fera was able to speak it that one time… I don’t know the exact science, but I think it’s to do with tiny hairs or something? In the throat? I dunno, it’s weird. But I should be able to teach you something cultural. Or at least as cultural as it gets.”

He shifted, standing and coaxing her to follow. He took both her hands, gently turning them palm-up, “It’s not practiced often now, so doing this will really impress older Chrysalans, I tell ya! So, you take their hands and turn them, make sure you’re gentle and you smile. This is a sort of… 'I wish to know you’ and 'I accept your hospitality’. Hold their hands with your palm to the top of theirs like this, don’t grip with your fingers. Then, you tilt your head forward. I’d say that, unless you’re intending to flirt, just bow your head a little bit. This is 'I am open to you’, because you’re offering your antennae, see? If you want something to say with it, I’d just say in Basic, 'I’m pleased to meet you’ or something simple like that.”

While Vela didn’t agree that Aurctas had formed her into someone who seemed perfect by any means, she quietly accepted Dritz’s reasoning for wanting to see her planet beyond simply persuading the Aurians to leave. She wanted to see Chrysala for many of the same reasons.

Then he showed her the motions to go through as a special greeting to Chrysalans, and because it mainly used the hands, she watched with a very solemn expression. In a way she gained a feeling of connection, almost as though there was a tiny similarity between her race and Dritz’s. Carefully she repeated the motions using his hands, committing it to memory right away, and struggled through the words “I’m… pleased…” before she had to stop. [I will practice. I must say it faster, easier. Thank you for showing me. It means so much to me.]

Since she was already so near, Vela couldn’t help but stretch up the short distance to kiss him gratefully. She put her arms around him for a moment, soothed as always by his warmth and presence. Then she leaned back and smiled, returning to the bench at the table and her tea. [How many will there be to meet, in your family? Just your parents and siblings? What about their other partners? Or cousins? Will you need to introduce me to all of them?] This was potentially a lot of greetings to give. Maybe she would limit them to his parents and the overseer, and any other older Chrysalans she might need to interact with, in order to save her energy for speaking aloud.

Delighted, Dritz returned the kiss and held her against him for a moment when she tried to turn away, grinning. When he did let her go, he took his own seat again.

“Ohhh, no no no, I wouldn’t expect you to get to know everyone by any means! My parents, maybe my younger siblings if they’re not too busy with schooling when we get there. My ma has partners even I’ve never met. It’s sort of… their private thing? Sometimes partners will be more involved, but I think at least a couple of them have families of their own, children to take care of. Usually you’d interact more with your siblings, if your parent and a secondary partner choose to raise another child. It can get a bit in depth and confusing for offworlders. Heck, it gets that way for me too sometimes!” He shook his head, pulling a face.

“So just immediate family, I think,” he added, just to confirm. “What about on Aurctas? Will I… meet family?”

Vela nodded again, the relief evident on her face. If she only had to greet a few out loud, it wouldn’t be too stressful for her weak vocal cords. She resolved again that they would be stronger someday.

[That’s interesting, but it does sound complicated. I do look forward to meeting them. As for myself, I don’t have a family.]

She had to pause a moment as she saw the look on Dritz’s face. [It’s alright. Though we used to have family units long ago according to the records, the practice disappeared sometime after my people arrived on Aurctas. I don’t know who my parents are, though they are probably still alive. We are raised by elders, and the ones who raised me, of course…] This time she did shake her head a little sadly. There were about as many elders remaining as there were children born, which was not many.

Vela didn’t have a family? The thought almost physically pained Dritz to consider. His own family life was complicated and sometimes a bother, but he adored every single one of them and would never be without them. Even so far away, he knew they were there if he needed them.

[This fills me with sadness,] he signed slowly. “But, consider all of the Aurians to be your brothers and sisters. Because they are, they endured the same things you did, and now you’re here to save them from enduring. So that they can live.” He squeezed her hands tightly, nodding more to himself. Their family situations were so different, but he thought his own family might make a nice one for Vela.

Seeing Dritz react with concern, Vela’s expression softened. She squeezed his hands gently in return as she listened to him, nodding. He seemed to understand that she was not upset about it for herself, but at the same time it was unimaginable for him.

[I will do the best I can. And I think I am, with your help. They are all my siblings… yes, in a way. There are times I feel bad that I escaped when they would not, but there was no choice. I will help them escape too, someday.]

The days passed surprisingly quickly, with Vela practicing her phrase aloud as well as reading all the info she could on Chrysala, passing on the information to Dritz as well, which seemed to amuse him. Almost before they knew it, weeks had gone by and the planet itself was looming in the viewscreen before them.

Vela had dressed as nicely as she could, in dark clothes from Aurctas which were reasonably closer-fitting than most of the rest she owned, wanting to represent her people and yet not wanting to be too uncomfortable. The looser clothes she had tended to wear in the past no longer suited her personal taste as much.

Anxious as she was for herself, she turned a curious expression toward Dritz to see how he felt upon finally arriving, and how he would handle their landing process, as she could not communicate with the other Chrysalans.

Vela practiced relentlessly on her gesture and phrasing, and regularly entertained him with snippets of information, which only made Dritz happy. Her enthusiasm was amusing and endearing, he could see she truly wanted to be welcomed into the community, to impress them as well as earn their help.

Soon enough, as the time passed unbelievably quickly, Dritz was instructing Vela on where to pilot the Nova.

Chrysala from orbit appeared to be a smokey blue green orb, surrounded in stark contrast by a vast station system that was funnelling ship traffic through to the planet. They were hailed almost immediately, a delicate, oval-faced Chrysalan with picture perfect straight hair and immaculate white uniform, wearing a comm headset appeared on the screen. Dritz had situated himself near it in preparation, beaming widely in greeting.

The Chrysalan, with minimal movement of his lips, chirped and clicked having been greeted with one of his own.

“Hey there. Thanks, but could we do Basic, please? My captain doesn’t speak Chrys!” He gestured behind him to Vela.

“Absolutely. My apologies, friends,” said the operative, bowing his head. His Basic was soft and lilting, less confident that his native tongue. “I will need your manifesto, crew listing and reasons for your visit.”

“We ain’t carrying anything, the crew is myself and my captain, and we’ve come to visit,” Dritz responded cheerily. He and the operative went through the checking procedures, which took longer than expected as Dritz tried to explain the whereabouts of his registered ship, and needed to be verified as a citizen with their census records. To one side, where the operative would not see, he signed in slow motion to Vela, [Booorrriiing.]

Vela watched and listened to everything carefully, as if she could extract even more information from the exchange with the Chrysalan operative. In the back of her mind she was vaguely thinking how very different this would be from landing on Aurctas, which she had also never done before.

This Chrysalan was different than Dritz in appearance, of course, smaller and more delicate looking, which did not seem to interest Vela in particular. She had not seen any other Chrysalans during her time on Hesperus, from what she could recall. She felt certain Dritz would have mentioned it if he had. Yet she had seen many pictures during her search for information, and knew she should expect a variety of body types as opposed to the Aurians, who were all highly similar.

When Dritz signed to her, she smiled but shook her head. It was a lot of detail to go through, but all of it fascinated her. When it was all concluded and they were allowed to proceed, she carefully began to maneuver the ship forward again while following the instructions she had received from both the operative and Dritz.

Once the operative was off the line with a soft “welcome to Chrysala”, Dritz shut the comms off with a sigh.

“That took much longer than it needed! I bet he’s new to it, the experienced customs folk would never presume to speak Chrysalan, no matter who answered,” he said, plopping back down in his seat and helping Vela (when she needed it, which was rare) move them through the traffic picking its way down to the planet.

The port was vast and bustling, with bays branching out from a central hub in a starburst shape, and they were guided down to bay Q6 by another Chrysalan over their voice comms, this one's gender not so easily identified, but their manner infectiously bright and welcoming.

“Right, are you ready for an explore, my flower?” Dritz asked as they settled and the engines were cooling down. He was acting almost jumpy, visibly a mixture of nerves and excitement.

The navigation down to the port and their docking bay wasn’t overly difficult. While the area was crowded with other ships, they were all moving in a reasonably controlled manner, and the layout of the port was well thought out and designed to minimize travel time, or so Vela thought. It was still a relief to finally land and shut the engines down, letting the Nova take a well deserved rest for safely delivering them to Chrysala.

[It’s not so much exploring for you, is it?] she signed with a little smile, moving to where he was once everything had been shut down properly. [But I think I am. Where do we go first? Should we get to your overseer right away? How do we get there?] Remembering the transports on Trelos, she gave a little shudder before squeezing Dritz in her arms gently for a moment. [Are you alright? I’m very nervous, too.]

Dritz kissed Vela’s temple with a fond roll of his eyes, “Okay, so it’s not a grand adventure for me, as such, but it will be for you, and that makes it more explorey.” He nuzzled against her, soothing his own worries in a way.

“What say we take it a little bit slower? Maybe go somewhere for some tea and a snack, then make our way over to the overseer?” He offered, smiling. “It’s up to you, we could always go to the overseer first, and then have a lot relaxing wander through the city? Oh, transport, yes. There’s lifts between the levels, and suspension trams that should be okay for us to grab.”

Vela shrugged playfully, leaning against Dritz a little for a moment. It was certainly an adventure for her, but one which worried her more than she might like it to.

The idea to take it slower was appealing. They were not in a true rush now that they were on Chrysala, and Vela nodded as she thought it over. [I suppose so. Tea is always good, and we haven’t had much decent to eat while traveling.] She wasn’t exactly hungry, but the simple act of eating might settle her somehow.

They left the ship and made their way into the dock, down a lift and onto the ground level. At this point, Vela had to stop and stare at the bustle around her. [There are so many,] she signed weakly, glancing around at everyone walking about on their own business. And this was only a tiny fraction of the population!

The foot traffic outside of the port was even thicker than before, and Dritz was aware that the noise and activity could be overwhelming for Vela, so he kept one arm thrown over her shoulders, keeping her close, but her hands free for signing.

The ground level was dimmer by default, but the smooth, almost metallic streets were lit with strip lights in the roofing that mimicked natural sunlight. Everywhere there were people going about their business; many of them in workwear, and the vast majority of them Chrysalans, though other races weren’t particularly rare. The streets were narrow and while everything was clearly built for practicality and cheap with cheap materials, as time advanced, it was obvious they’d been built on and redesigned, with the same uniform base, and signs for shops or services were low and made of neon tubing, with the largest text being in Chrysalan, then a Basic translation beneath.

Dritz led her slowly, picking his way through the streets. Thankfully everyone was as polite as he’d recalled, and everyone was afforded a good amount of space.

“I got you. This is usually the most crowded area, since it’s the first port of call after, well, the port! As we make our way in some more, it’ll thin out,” he promised.

Grateful for the arm around her shoulders to help keep her steady against the noise all around her, Vela leaned into Dritz slightly as they walked. It was similar to being on Hesperus in a way, but the lights were brighter and the sound much louder. It was fairly bewildering to her as someone from a planet with people who did not surround themselves with very much technology.

She watched in something like a daze as a small group of Chrysalans of various skin shades and heights and sizes walked by, all seeming to be chirping and buzzing at the same time as they talked among each other. Offhand she began to wonder if she could at least learn to understand the language even if she couldn’t speak it, the way Dritz had learned her sign language for her.

True to Dritz’s word, the crowds began to fade the further they walked from the ports. Vela found herself reading every sign they passed, trying to remember the Chrysalan writing along with the translation beneath. The majority so far were repair shops or other small businesses. [Will we need to use that to find a place that sells food?] She had pointed at what looked like a station from what she could tell, though what Dritz had called “trams” had no word in her language.

Dritz found that he was also thankful for the way the crowds were thinning out, feeling more at ease when they could walk with a bit more space. Eventually they approached a tram station, which was a small terminal directing users to which car they would need; each car was lowered to the ground to collect the passengers, then drawn up to a cable to travel above the foot traffic.

“Well, we could probably find somewhere a bit closer,” Dritz said, “But if you wanna try out the tram, we could! It’s free. I’ve known kids to get trams just two minutes along the street out of pure laziness, just because it doesn’t cost. Heh, I… Uh, I actually did it once. I decided to see how long would take to get from one end of the city to another via the trams. It took a long time.” He chuckled, shrugging.

Vela nodded slowly, considering. [I would like to try them. We can go somewhere closer to where your overseer is.] Now that she was able to watch one of the trams moving and could see it was not going at a high speed, she was more than eager to try what she now considered part of Dritz’s culture after the story he told her.

As she thought, the ride was smooth and actually pleasant. Of course Dritz knew where to go and was able to make sure they arrived in his own district, and Vela walked off the tram in a new sense of awe. This was where the one she loved had grown up and lived a large part of his life, and she gazed around fondly as if she might be imagining him there.

[Where do we go?] she signed eagerly. Her appetite was returning while she was so excited, for now, so it was best to take advantage of that before her thoughts returned to approaching the overseer and Dritz’s family.

The tram rocked gently from side to side as they were lifted and moved above the streets. The interior held advertisements for new fashions, work insurances, some new eatery, and one small, partially scrubbed bit of graffiti which was roughly recognisable as an insult to the next district over. Other than that, however, it was well kept, a long carriage with plenty of hard metal seats. In recent years, the metal had been engraved with a pattern that resembled a map of the city.

Below them, the industrial, darker buildings gave way to sleeker, modern buildings, though some older architecture remained where the owners might not have wished to change. The neon signs became more elaborate, the streets boasting citizens in similar, though more tastefully matched, fashion to Dritz himself. A trend amongst Chrysalan women seemed to be small rings on their antennae, and glittering chains clipped to the tips of their wings, while the most stylish men seemed to favour thick heeled shoes and shades of red. The streets opened up, almost like a collection of town squares, and towards the centre there was a low, plain building in the older style.

“That’s where we’ll need to be,” Dritz said, pulling Vela to look out of their window. “If we get off at the next stop, we can find my favourite place to eat. It’s too big a place for them to, say, know your order or your face, but it’s really nice food, and they do a huge variety of different blossoming tea!”

The place in question was a large canteen with individually tended tables. A short Chrysalan woman with heavy, and very bright, eye makeup greeted them with a bright smile.

“Hi! I’m Cirtz, I’ll be your server,” she chirped. She seemed to be eyeing Vela with sparkling curiosity. “Your hair is gorgeous!”

Vela was staring again as she took in all there was to see of the city from the window of the tram, feeling as though it would be impossible to look away. She had not ever experienced anything like it, of course, her only experiences with planets thus far being her own and Trelos. To think of Chrysala having such a long and interesting history, during which all of this was built and rebuilt, was certainly fascinating to her. In fact, she decided to look up as much information as she could about the history of the district later.

They arrived at their destination and Vela sat across from Dritz at one of the tables, still in wide-eyed awe at everything around her. When the woman who introduced herself as Cirtz appeared to take their order, Vela was also staring at her perhaps more intently than would be appropriate. She had seen makeup on others before (leaving Fera aside, he didn’t count to her,) but of course not on a Chrysalan. She wondered briefly what makeup would look like on herself before dismissing the idea almost right away. The thought didn’t appeal to her.

Smiling shyly, she nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment to her hair, though it surprised her. [Thank you,] she signed as well, having no other choice, and Dritz translated for her as well as helping her make a choice on the menu and decide on one of the tea varieties. It was almost overwhelming, but she felt herself relaxing again once Cirtz had left with their orders.

[How do you feel now that we’re here?] she asked Dritz while they waited, before reaching over to gently brush a hand over his.

Cirtz didn’t seem to notice Vela’s signing, and so there was a glimmer of confusion when Dritz seemed to speak for her. Evidently, though, she didn’t think much of it, as she showed them to a table and took their order before scurrying off with a little bow.

She returned shortly with their tea, which was served in a long, clear cup. This blossom, seemingly oddly, was at the bottom, unfurling into silky pink tendrils, tinging the water a light rose colour.

“This kind is pretty sweet, but it shouldn’t be unpleasant,” Dritz explained, “Well, I hope not anyway. If it’s too sweet, we can get another kind!” He stroked her hand and nodded, “It’s almost weird to be back, you know? I guess it seemed bigger when I left, as silly as that sounds.”

Cirtz returned with their food; an earthy-smelling rice dish peppered with red and yellow flakes and served in a soft, oval vegetable that had been halved and hollowed. Together, they combined sweetness and warm spice.

“I hope you like this, I figured it’d be a good introduction to home,” he said, prodding at his own food.

Vela carefully inspected the tea when Cirtz brought it out, finding the cup to be very interesting and strange to her, and the color of the blossom and water quite pretty. She sipped at it before it had cooled enough, being too eager to wait, and shook her head quickly when it came to the taste.

[No, it’s fine. It’s not too sweet, I will drink it.] The taste lingered over her tongue in a pleasant way that was different from the regular teas she had shared with Dritz before. Similarly, the food was also unique and fascinating to her, with a taste she would be unable to properly put into words, though not for any negative reasons.

[It’s delicious,] she signed truthfully after just a few bites. She almost asked what the ingredients were, but decided that she wanted the challenge of finding out on her own later. [But how does it feel strange to be back? I think it sounds normal to feel that way, but of course I’m not sure.] Would Aurctas seem different when she returned?

[I want to try as much Chrysalan food as possible while we’re here,] she signed after they had eaten a bit more. [But about the overseer… how will we approach her? Do I sign first, or will you explain why I can’t speak to her properly?] She felt bad to bring the subject up while they were still eating, but it seemed her mind would keep returning to it until it was over.

Dritz frowned and set his cutlery down.

“Hey. Don’t put it like that. You do talk properly,” he said firmly. He re-enforced this with a long, stern gaze before his expression returned to normal and he picked up his fork again. “I personally think it’d be good to represent the Aurians, so I’d sayyy… Sign, and I can translate. Szna is highly knowledgeable on aliens, so she might recognise that you’re communicating even if she won’t know what. I think she’d appreciate it. I’ll obviously translate for you and back you up with my totally important local knowledge!”

After a moment, he realised something else, “Oh, and… As for it being strange, I honestly didn’t think I’d be back for many, maaany more years. So the change here is minimal, it’s like I never left!”

At first Dritz’s response bewildered her, but then she had to smile as he gave her such a stern look. [I’m sorry. Of course. I only meant I can’t talk in the same way that you do, but it’s perfectly normal for me.] When Dritz’s expression relaxed, she nodded in agreement with his next words.

[Alright, I will sign. She sounds very understanding… in fact, like quite a wonderful person. Somehow I’m less afraid of being rejected by her. But I feel I will continue to worry about the rest of the overseers.] Rescuing the Aurians and transporting them to another planet would be a large use of Chrysala’s personal resources for what Vela was certain was of very little benefit on their end. The concept of others being willing to help without the expectation of being paid back in some way was unusual to her.

[Really?] she continued, her curiosity roused further to learn more about Dritz, as usual. [Did you ever see yourself as planning to stay here before you left? Or did you always want to travel? What made you decide to leave in the first place? I imagine it wasn’t easy to leave your family behind.]

“She was actually one of the youngest Chrysalans to become an overseer. I think she was like, 42? Chrysalans are considered adults at around 50, so she wasn’t taken very seriously for a long time. She’s good, been the overseer for my lifetime. Apparently before her there was a bit of drug crime in the port area, and she had it nearly halved in two years or so,” Dritz said. Talking about his home was strangely comforting, reassuring.

“Nah, I always knew there was more galaxy for me to see. I’m not quite so starry eyed as our pretty ol’ human friend,” he chuckled, “But I liked the idea of being where the aliens were. As many different folk as I could find. Chrysala has many visitors, but not enough alien residents. I wasn’t getting to experience everything I could. It’s not the longest life in the galaxy, but a Chrysalan’s is long enough, so why not fill it with different things? It… Heh, actually, leaving Tvie was hard. She’s my little pal, she used to follow me around when she was very young. But she’ll do the same one day, I know it. See now, she is definitely like Ori. Tvie will be outta here the first chance she gets!” He grinned fondly, “I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

Vela listened in fascination as Dritz talked first about Szna, then about his reasons for leaving home and seeking a new life in the galaxy. His description of Tvie made her smile as she saw how happy the thought made him, and she nodded.

[I look forward to meeting her. I also wanted to see what else the galaxy had to offer, beyond helping my people, and I found more than I ever imagined.] Her own fond smile was directed at Dritz, wondering what she would have done without him. Soon enough, however, she focused on finishing her meal so they could at last locate Szna and attempt to accomplish the main purpose of their visit to Chrysala.

Vela’s signs of affection stopped Dritz for a moment. His smile grew and he leaned over to kiss her, narrowly avoiding leaning right into his meal. In the corner one Chrysalan seemed unnecessarily interested, but soon went back to their conversation.

“I know what you mean, flower. I never expected this,” he said softly, stroking her cheek lightly.

The two of them remained comfortably quiet, their knees touching under the table, until they had finished and paid. As they left, Dritz bounded to the counter, returning with two small plastic-wrapped parcels.

“Dessert, for later,” he beamed, tucking them into his pocket. “They should be fine in there. Shall we start walking?”

The approach was understated, with a small fountain in the centre of the square, surrounded by low, plain metal benches. The humidity seemed especially high there, with real sunlight filtering through the levels.

Inside the building, clean and simple desks flanked a walkway to a staircase. For someone of authority, the decor was very basic, and somewhat older than one might have expected.

Although Vela was curious about whatever it was that Dritz had bought for “dessert,” she was more concerned about the meeting with Szna. She soon had forgotten all about it, though it would likely be a pleasant surprise later.

The area Dritz led them to was not as ornate as one might expect to find in the office of someone important, though Vela had held no prior expectations. She was unused to how thick the air felt, especially here, and she found herself wiping at her forehead absently, noticing it was a little damp. This was not any sort of weather she was accustomed to, and she was still dressed too warmly in her Aurian clothing.

She gazed around at the desks in the building and glanced up the staircase, wondering where they would go next but conserving her energy instead of asking. Already her nerves were slightly on edge, though Dritz’s familiar form next to her was comforting.

Dritz took her over to the first desk, where an older Chrysalan was peering at them over his glasses in a kindly manner, “Welcome to the offices of Overseer Szna. May I help you, dears?”

“Hiya,” Dritz said brightly, “My companion and I have an issue to discuss with the overseer. We would like her to elevate the matter to the counsel, as it is an offworld concern. Does she have a free hour as soon as possible?”

The Chrysalan seemed incredibly interested in this, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at an old, slightly dented datapad, “Ooh, an offworld matter? How thrilling! As it happens, she is returning from a meeting in about an hour or so. You’re welcome to wait if you wish, and I can fetch you something to drink? Terribly stuffy in here today.” He muttered the last part more to himself as he reached for a small glass of amber juice from his desk.

Dritz turned to Vela to see if she agreed with the idea of waiting. “You wanna do this now? Or come back tomorrow?”

The older Chrysalan behind the desk seemed kind, and Vela smiled at him gratefully before she turned to sign to Dritz.

[Let’s wait. I think an hour is better than another day.] To be honest, she wanted this part over with so she could stop being so nervous sooner. Meeting his family seemed to bring a different anxiousness almost entirely. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, [Tell him I would like a drink, and thank you. It is a little warm here.]

Once they had their drinks, Vela and Dritz sat together on one of the benches to wait. She wasn’t familiar with the liquid in her glass, but it was the same as the other Chrysalan had been drinking, with a warm color and slightest hint of a bitter taste that was somehow refreshing and made her feel less uncomfortable with the temperature. Dritz was telling her more about what an overseer did for their district, and she listened carefully, but her gaze slipped to the door nearly every minute.

“Honestly, it took me so long to understand what it is an overseer does,” Dritz had started, managing to make his hopefully comforting rambling sound almost natural, “But it’s actually pretty damn simple… or my understanding of it is simplified! It was always important that they were not seen as above the rest of the citizens; hence why their office buildings are usually a bit more understated, or even run down. They can’t be seen to be prioritizing themselves when their home needs them. Similarly, it’s not very often someone from a different district can become an overseer for another district, you see? Inter-district fighting or prejudice, anything of that nature, doesn’t happen, it’s just that to become the overseer for a district, you have to have lived there, or how else would you know what works and what doesn’t?”

“They consult with new businesses, assist with severe legal disputes; someone building on another’s property or something, for example. Mostly they represent the interests of the area for a higher stage, if that makes sense. An overseer listens to her district, and makes sure their needs are communicated to the counsel; then other districts can assist, or she can appeal for funding for her district and stuff. I’m sorry, is this boring?” Thankfully, Vela seemed interested, and he was able to continue explaining up until the doors opened and a Chrysalan woman entered.

She was tall and sinewy, with dark purple hair held in a relaxed, but fairly neat, bun at the side of her head, held in place with a small pin in the shape of a yellow flower. Aside from that, her clothing was dark and plain; clean, crisp worker’s overalls and lightweight boots. She was visibly more mature in age than Dritz, but at the same time, her years were hard to determine.

Without even speaking to the clerk from before, she strode up to them, bowing slightly, “You must be my next meeting. I was told you were waiting for me, I’m so sorry I’m a bit later than I needed to be.” She was incredibly well spoken, and her smile was soft, but she was looking at Vela with a curious warmth.

“Welcome to Chrysala, friend. I am Szna, and if there is anything I can to for you while you are in my district, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

When Szna entered the room and introduced herself, Vela felt almost frozen in place briefly. This was the woman she had to speak to in order to help her people further.

Immediately she was rather taken with Szna’s appearance, thinking her quite lovely. She hadn’t ever studied any female Chrysalan closely, but she kept her gaze earnestly on Szna and was able to easily notice the small differences. It was also impossible not to notice the way Szna was looking at her in specific, seeming to know their visit was mostly about her.

Finally composing herself, Vela stood and moved forward to gracefully hold out her hands. If Szna was surprised, she showed little of that as she also held out her hands so that Vela could clasp them in the way Dritz showed her, bowing her head at the same time. “Pleased to… meet you.” It was a shortened form of what she had wanted to say, leaving the “I am” off the front, but those two extra syllables had been making it hard for her. She was reasonably proud of how she had only needed one brief pause in the middle this time as well.

As she drew back from Szna, she was able to add one more word. “Vela.” She pointed to herself before signing, [Thank you. I’m honored to be here and to meet you. I’m here on behalf of my people, the Aurians, and we have an important matter to discuss with you.] She nodded at Dritz, indicating that he was included and would translate for her.

Szna’s already friendly expression became one of warmth as she was greeted. She bowed her head and responded in kind, “You are welcome here, Vela. I’m very impressed, I don’t think I’ve ever met a Chrysalan who has greeted me traditionally, let alone a friend from offworld.”

Dritz began to explain when Szna held up a hand, “Let’s go somewhere comfortable, yes? I have a feeling I will want to talk to you for a long time.”

She led them up the staircase to a quiet room with a low table and small, rounded armchairs. Taking a seat and pulling her legs up underneath her, she gestured to the two of them to sit. “Now, that’s better. Please, do continue. You are their translator?” she said politely, gesturing to Dritz.

“Friend and partner, primarily,” Dritz said cheerily, “But yes. I’m Dritz, and it’s honestly an honour, ma'am. Anyway. Vela comes on behalf of her people, the Aurians. We have a great deal to discuss with you.”

“Then please, discuss,” she said, leaning back in her chair and watching Vela with a smile.

Instantly feeling welcomed, Vela followed Szna along with Dritz in something of a daze. Of course she had known she would not be rejected, and there was so much more work to do, but something about the female Chrysalan brought Vela an even greater sense of hope than before.

The room they came to was close and comfortable, and Vela relaxed into her chair as much as she could. After Dritz finished explaining and she had been prompted to begin, she leaned forward to start signing, pausing every now and then so he would not have to translate too much all at once.

[I come from a planet far from here named Aurctas. It is a cold, harsh world where nothing grows and the only means of survival is trade with alien ships. We mine a special metal found only on our planet, but it is hard and dangerous work. The population is declining and may die out completely within the next one hundred years if the current trends hold.]

She shifted in her seat restlessly, trying to find the right words. [The Aurians have lost hope and don’t believe they would be better suited to a life elsewhere. My goal is to convince them otherwise. I repaired one of the old ships that brought us to Aurctas and flew alone to the station Hesperus Alpha. I didn’t know exactly what I would do, but I met Dritz there and he has helped me with so much. It was his idea that we might come to you for some help.] Vela stopped here, not wanting to continue with her request until Szna had time to process the information so far.

Overseer Szna listened with a frown that didn’t speak of anger, but of an understanding of the gravity of what she heard. She focused her attention on Vela, glancing at Dritz occasionally and nodding, ensuring she understood properly. Once Dritz had solemnly translated the information, she leaned back in her chair, her hand on her chin and deep thought in her eyes.

“The situation is a critical, delicate one,” she said seriously. “What made you believe Chrysala could assist?”

“Ma'am, while we’re not a wealthy planet, we are resourceful, and nothing if not motivated by community. Look at the structure of our families. We have to extend this care and kindness or what use is it?” Dritz said desperately.

“I agree,” Szna said, turning back to Vela. “I believe the planet is in a position to help your people. I confess to having never heard anything relating to you. Perhaps if we had been aware of Aurctas we might have intervened sooner. Now isn’t the time to lament what could have been done, though.”

Szna leaned forward once more, steepling her fingers, “It will take time to escalate this; what aid would you have from us, Vela? I’d like to know what’s needed so I can put it to the others.”

Vela couldn’t help exhaling softly in relief. Szna was taking the subject very seriously, with great care and attentiveness. She should have expected nothing less, but it was good to see it as it actually happened.

[Thank you. Perhaps the reason you have not heard of us is because I think those who trade with Aurctas are dealing unfairly and keeping the information private for their own use. It might have been known we were there some time ago, but not near the lifetime of any of us. We slowly fell from being what I believe was once a great civilization, though with the right assistance I’m sure we can return to that.“

It took a few moments for her to collect her thoughts further. [What I’m asking seems fairly simple, but at the same time, I know it is a massive undertaking. We have potentially found a planet to move the Aurians to, called Trelos, though it will take some further negotiation. But they do not have the capability of transporting my people, and that was what I would like to ask of the Chrysalan government: the use of your ships to transport them.] She hesitated again in her worry. [We can’t repay you, yet. Someday I think we could, if that’s an issue. I mainly ask that it be considered while we finalize matters with both the Trelosians and Aurians. I, for one, would be deeply grateful if you could.]

Finished for now, Vela bowed her head again as she listened to Dritz translate.

"Ah, Trelos. I’ve not been there, but I have heard minimal information on it,” Szna muttered. From her tone it was as though she was too distracted with her thoughts to say much more. She tapped her steepled fingers against her lips, frowning.

“My friend, were the decision mine and mine alone, I would give you everything you need. Transport, food, the promise of future trade agreements to help your people prosper. Unfortunately, that decision is not mine to make,” she explained, the frown never leaving her face.

“However, the decision to persuade the counsel is mine, and I will work to ensure we can work with the Aurian in the future. The Aurians do not ask much; ships in peace time are never used.” She nodded to herself, “I may need your input at the next meeting.”

Of course Szna would agree to help. And she would agree to do so much more, but Vela understood the need to seek approval from the rest of the overseers. Even having been fairly certain in advance, she still sank back into her chair with a weak, relieved feeling before finally being able to sign her gratitude and direct a genuinely happy smile at Dritz.

[I think we would not turn away any help offered,] she signed hesitantly, [but we will only ask for the use of your ships. Dritz and I still need to finalize the negotiations with Trelos, and speak to my people, but I have confidence on both of those matters. It doesn’t seem like the ships are much, but I know there is the cost of fuel as well as the time of the pilots who will need to fly them. As I mentioned, we are willing to make repayments for those, as there should be credits from the sale of whatever metal we can carry from Aurctas.]

This was something of a gamble on her part, as she didn’t know absolutely that the other Aurians would even agree to migration to another planet. But it was better to cancel negotiations with the others than disappoint her people, and they might need that extra persuasion of resources already being secured for them.

[My input?] she continued curiously. [What would I have to do?] The thought of standing in front of a lot of other Chrysalans and explaining was a bit intimidating, though she was willing to do so if necessary.

“Having a representative from Aurctas adds gravity to their needs,” Szna said almost apologetically, “It could be considered an underhanded way to go on my part, but giving them a face, a point of reference, the- excuse the phrase- human face of the Aurian struggle. You may not need to say anything, in fact, especially if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Gracefully, the overseer rose and paced for a while, “I won’t hear anything to do with negotiation of price. Many years ago small colonies in jeopardy would seek assistance, and the aiding individuals wouldn’t ask for payment. We are in peace time, you already said you have a viable planet for your new home… I personally see no difficulty.”

It was then that Dritz spoke up, “Ma'am, if I could make a suggestion? I’m not especially up on the laws, but perhaps Overseers Tvek and Vri would be persuaded to view it as a potential for a sister 'nation’ and the potential to add to their militia?”

“Are any of your people trained to fight, my friend?” Szna asked with a light frown.

Vela nodded in understanding, pleased that the Chrysalans were honorable enough not to ask for payment from a people who were suffering. The extra credits could be put toward other uses or given to the Trelosians if they required any form of compensation, though she had a feeling they would not either.

Dritz’s suggestion did make her pause to think about what she knew of the Aurian’s past. [There is no need for it at the moment, so no. However, in the distant past a great war was fought on our original planet, before we migrated to Aurctas. There were skilled warriors in an organized force, then. I think it is something we can learn to do again, but I’m afraid it’s not an asset to offer initially.] While it worried her to have so little to offer to potential rescuers, she still hoped they would see that the Aurians were resilient and would be a great people again one day.

[I will stand as a representative in front of the counsel,] she signed decisively, already seeing how good this would be to present their case. [And I will answer questions if they are asked of me. I won’t be afraid now, when I’ve already come so far. How soon will we be able to do this?] She had no idea if the counsel ran on any sort of schedule for meetings, or if one could be called whenever necessary.

Both Chrysalans seemed interested in Vela’s answer, with Dritz looking decidedly more intrigued, given his improved understanding of Aurian. Szna, however, seemed to be taking the opportunity to watch her signing rather than worry about what she would be saying. She listened with interest to Dritz’s translation.

“That is not an issue to me, friend,” she said kindly. “While it was a clever enough suggestion, I do not believe Tvek and Vri will be swayed by that point in particular. I hold out hope they will simply be as taken with the request as I have been. Vela, you are a remarkable individual to come in search of help for your people, and I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to come as a representative.”

She pulled a datapad, far older than Dritz’s but almost unusually well kept, and tapped out a few things. “I am due to meet with the counsel next week, but in an effort to further emphasise the gravity of the Aurians’ plight, I suggest I call one. Waiting would suggest a lack of urgency, and I would like to move on this as soon as possible. I propose two days’ time, how is this for you, my friend?” she said, looking at Vela.

Bowing her head, Vela accepted Szna’s praise gracefully. [It’s all I could do for them, and for the memory of the ones I knew who were lost to a life much too harsh for anyone to be living.]

The idea of a counsel being called early had its appeal. The sooner help for the Aurians was assured, the sooner they could be rescued, not to mention how much easier she would be able to rest. [That sounds like a good idea. I will be able to do that in two days.] She glanced hesitantly at Dritz. [I think we will only be here in the district. I want to see what a wonderful place your world is, and meet more of your people.] Of course by this she mostly meant Dritz’s family, but she supposed it went without saying.

[And thank you for agreeing to this. It may not be enough, but you’ll have the gratitude of an entire generation of Aurians if this works, and hopefully many more to come.]

Dritz beamed, feeling less of a need to be serious now that their business had concluded favourably. His faith in Szna had not been misplaced, and even more so, he was proud of all Vela was achieving.

With a few more words of determination and reassurance, Szna stood to bid them farewell, gently embracing them each in turn, even going to give Vela a chaste kiss on the cheek and commend her once more.

They were given a time to meet her at the building, and Dritz offered to escort themselves out in case Szna was busy, which it happened she would be.

Alone again, Dritz led Vela out of the building in pleased silence until they were out in the street. There he scooped her up into his arms and spun around, squeezing her.

“You did so well, flower,” he breathed, “I am sooo damn proud! Everything went so well! How do you feel?”

Somewhat weak with relief, Vela was glad to let Dritz lead the way out of the building. Szna had been lovely and good to her, the added kiss on her cheek making her a little shy once more. All the details had been set, and even if the real test was to come, she was personally proud of what she had accomplished so far.

She gratefully clung to Dritz as he picked her up and spun her, needing to wait for him to release her before she could sign a response. [It did go well. Thank you. I feel… good, but kind of tired. Like it was draining, somehow.] She smiled at him before leaning up to kiss his lips. [And thank you for being there with me. We’ll see it through to the end together, and that means a lot to me.]

Then she hesitated, her smile a bit nervous once more. [So we will go to your home now?]

Leaning in to kiss her forehead, Dritz shook his head, “I dunno, flower… I think maybe we’ve had enough nervousness and tension for today. Why don’t we go tomorrow? There are plenty of places to stay that’ll be cheap, and, well… I just don’t want to drain you further. We could go and get a room, have a bath and relax for the rest of the day, basking in a job well done, then get up early tomorrow? We have plenty of time, so it’s up to you. Cap'n.” He smiled and gave her a wink at this.

After a few moments of thought, Vela nodded. [That might be a good idea. We’ve had a long journey here, and the stress of the meeting with the overseer, though she was very nice. It would be alright to wait for tomorrow. Not that I think getting to see your family will be tense,] she quickly added. [As I said, I’m tired from all we’ve done already.]

Trusting Dritz to lead them somewhere they could secure a room, she walked a distance before having another realization.

[They won’t be expecting you. Is that alright? Or maybe there’s a way to contact them beforehand, if you wanted?] She had no idea if Dritz’s family appreciated surprises like the one they would surely have when he walked in suddenly with an alien companion who couldn’t talk directly to them yet.

Dritz lead Vela through the streets of the district, and on another ride in the suspended trams, to an area with a good deal of greenery in the form of plant boxes lining the streets, containing small shrubs with almost spherical yellow and green leaves that gave off a scent similar to very subtle citrus fruit.

Where he had chosen for them was small and perhaps a bit more modest, but the room was clean and tidy, with a large bathtub (as he requested). Big enough for two, Dritz had noticed with a saucy grin when they inspected it.

Tugging off his shirt and pulling Vela to lie with him on the bed, Dritz sighed happily. “So, to answer your question from earlier- I know, I’m sorry, I got to chatting- I did send my brother a quick note to say that something amaziiiiing would happen soon. He told me I was a cryptic jerk. But honestly, if he’s mentioned it to anyone else, they’ll know. Kli is one of these… Okay, I love my brother, but he’s a little less smart than some. Relies too much on his looks. So he can be a little slow to catch your meaning if you speak to him even remotely cryptically. What I’m sayin’ is they may be a bit surprised, but it’ll only be a good thing!”

Despite Dritz’s chatter, Vela had sometimes found herself lagging almost behind him at certain points during the walk whenever her attention was caught by anything particularly interesting, which was often. The smell of the plants especially made her drift closer to them to inhale more deeply and reach out to touch them with gentle, curious fingers.

She could make no distinction between the building or room and that of more expensive ones, though she obviously would have been fine with anything. The sight of the bathtub even made her relax. She lay down contentedly with Dritz when he directed her to the bed, curling up next to him and closing her eye, resting her head against his bare chest for a long moment as though to recharge. After listening to him talk for a little while, she sat up again to sign.

[If that’s enough for you, then I’m alright with it. They will definitely enjoy the surprise of seeing you again.] She didn’t add that they might enjoy the surprise of meeting her, as well. [Your brother sounds interesting. Do you think he will like me? How many are living in your parent’s home right now?] Already having been reassured that his small sister would have an interest, she turned her worry toward anyone else who might be there.

“Hey, they’re enjoy seeing you too, getting to meet someone so important to me will make them happy, I’m sure,” Dritz said reassuringly, kissing Vela’s forehead. “He’s an odd one, quite a bit different to me, even though we grew up together. I’m sure he’ll like you, even if he might not show it; we are very different. His idea of affection is a pat on the shoulder or something. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, but I love showing affection, I have to force him to hug me.” He chuckled, shrugging slightly.

“Ah, there was only the five of us in that particular homestead, but we had another… six living near; my mum’s partner and her children, with her primary. They’re cute, but I’m not so close with them. Tvie plays with their youngest all the time though, which is pretty cute.” After a moment, he added softly, “Are you nervous?”

Dritz’s reassurances made Vela smile and nod, finally able to set aside her worries just a little. She decided she would be cautious when it came to Kli, though she had never expected to embrace anyone there as it was. In the end, all she wanted to do was make him comfortable around her.

She listened carefully to everything he said, being sure she would remember it all, but had to answer truthfully when it came to the question of whether she was nervous. [Yes. I’m trying not to feel that way, but it’s something that seems impossible to fully control. You probably understand. I want to be sure they have a good impression of me, and simply like me, but I’m sure I shouldn’t let it bother me so much.]

Vela leaned over Dritz then, kissing him softly and lingering with her lips near his. “Love you,” she forced out in a quiet voice, finding the admission helped steady her further.

Dritz shook his head with a soft smile, “You should feel the way you feel, and no other way. If you’re nervous, you have the right to be, flower. That’s… well, that’s kinda how it is. I’d be just the same with those closest to you. I mean, I will be! I’ll probably end up saying something really silly…” He chuckled, grimacing.

He stared at her for a long, quiet moment when she spoke. The rarity of her voice made it all the more precious when he did hear it. He pulled her close, into a soft kiss that grew in heat after a moment, as their kisses tended to. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers, his antennae curving forward as though to hide in her hair.

“I love you too, Vela,” he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling as he basked in the moment, having her there on his home planet with him.

[Only if you don’t keep practicing your signing,] Vela replied in amusement. It was possible he would get one of the motions wrong, but unless he completely changed one sign into another, the other Aurians probably wouldn’t notice in their awe of someone who knew more of their language than any of the traders did. [I suppose being nervous is only natural.]

She returned the kiss, feeling her body warming through the longer it lasted. As he pulled away and returned her sentiment, resting their foreheads together, she gave a soft sigh and a slight nod. She knew it, but it never got any less special when she heard it again.

It seemed they lay together cuddling for at least an hour, sharing more kisses and teasing caresses through each other’s clothing, though Dritz’s shirt being off gave Vela an unfair advantage. She finally sat up with the hint of a playful smile around her lips. [We should take a bath before bed, so we’ll be clean for tomorrow.] Which was a silly thing to say, but she thought he knew what she meant by it.

Dritz scrunched his nose up in faux offence, but laughed. He had been practicing at every opportunity just recently, but those times when Vela was not around were rare. He sort of wanted to surprise her with how his signing had improved, but was unsure if it actually had.

Though neither of them were moving towards being more intimate, the desire was almost palpable, and Dritz couldn’t fight the lazy smirk that came across his face at the suggestion of a bath together.

“We definitely want to get clean,” he said softly, leaning up with her in his arms. He carefully stood and carried her with him to the bathroom, smoothly opening the door and just about managing to start the water while paying special attention to her neck, and what little he could reach of her collarbone.

Vela was momentarily distracted, herself, as Dritz carried her into the bathroom and started the water, enjoying his kisses against her neck. Eventually she did have to nudge him to let her down so she could add soap to the water and finally turn it off, giving them both time to shed their clothes and return their attention to each other.

Taking a moment to admire the colors of their skin together for what must have been the thousandth time (yet never felt like it would get old), Vela stepped away and climbed carefully into the bath, her gaze inviting as she reached out a hand for Dritz to join her.

With Vela naked and beckoning him closer, Dritz needed very little encouragement. He tugged off his remaining clothes and stepped in with her. He immediately leaned in and resumed kissing her deeply, fingers trailing over her lean shoulders and down her arms.

With a sly smile, he trailed kisses down her front, over her collarbone, her breasts and stomach, down to her hips. He knelt in the water, giving her an adoring look before he started kissing her thighs, bringing his warm hands up to stroke the backs of her thighs.

Vela could feel herself beginning to shiver as Dritz kissed his way down her body; not from coldness, as every part of her felt radiant with warmth, but with sheer anticipation of where his lips might next meet her skin, and with a growing desire for more.

As he knelt and began paying attention to the softest skin of her inner thighs, her hands moved automatically to touch his head, fingers lightly trailing through his hair before she used firmer pressure to direct his mouth where she currently most wanted it to be. There was a certain way he had of moving his tongue there, which…

Dritz hadn’t needed any further prompting before he nearly rendered her breathless with pleasure, her head tilting back just slightly as his own hands continued to roam at the same time. At last she had to gently push him away, not wanting to feel all of it just yet. She managed to seat herself in the bathtub and lean back, though she still moved restlessly with longing as she held her arms open for him to join her.

Their bath lasted long enough for the water to cool significantly, though by the time they noticed it was only because they had become so flushed, clinging to one another with weak, blissful smiles until Dritz felt one of them (unsure whether it was himself or Vela) begin to shiver.

Lazily, Dritz ran more hot water into the bath and they washed, tempting as it was to simply repeat everything.

As he massaged citrus scented soap into Vela’s hair, Dritz kissed her shoulder and chuckled, “I dunno if I told you recently how much I love baths these days…”

With a slight smile, Vela turned her head to look back at Dritz, feeling his hands move to continue soaping her hair. There was little she could do to respond when he couldn’t see her signing, so she only nodded in agreement. Their baths really had grown quite extended from what they had been originally, even when it was only Vela by herself enjoying the feeling of being immersed in warm water. It was hard to believe baths could be improved, but she had been happy to find out otherwise.

After having taken turns washing each other’s hair and bodies (nearly leading to a repeat of their earlier actions if they hadn’t gotten themselves so tired), Vela and Dritz finally left the bath. She attempted to dry him first, then found herself wrapped in a fluffy towel and swept off her feet a second time as Dritz carried her back to bed. They spent the rest of their evening cuddled close, sharing pleasant talk and more soft kisses until at last they both drifted to sleep without too much worry about the next day.


	30. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela meets Dritz's family, which does not go well immediately.

Of course, Vela was already awake by the time Dritz woke the next day. When his eyes focused, she was already climbing back into bed with him, apparently having fetched the datapad.

He stretched out with a lazy smile, reaching up to stroke her cheek. “Morning. You sleep okay?”

It still was an odd thing for him to think of her as only sleeping a few hours, and then going about her morning with him completely fast asleep, but there was something comforting about it at the same time.

“We’ll grab some breakfast and head right over to the ol’ homestead, if that sounds good to you?” he said, sitting up and idly fiddling with his messy hair.

Early that morning, Vela had awoken with a mind which remained full of curiosity. She had gotten the datapad from where it rested on the table (she really felt she ought to start bringing it to bed with them to save the trouble of extracting herself from whatever form of snuggle she had been in with Dritz), and was eagerly looking through as much further information as she could about Chrysala. He could tell her a lot of things, but she didn’t expect him to give her history lessons, explain the weather patterns or teach her about which exports and imports were vital to the economy, for example.

When Dritz finally spoke to her, touching her cheek gently, the Aurian smiled back at him and tried to help smooth his mussed hair. [I slept very well, thank you. I think you did, too.] Her smile was teasing then. Dritz seemed to snore louder after they had spent an intimate evening together, which she had remarked on before. It made her think he was extra tired after what tended to be an intense period of activity.

She quickly agreed to his ideas, and they both dressed and made themselves presentable before paying for their room and finding a small but pleasant place to eat. Vela had chosen a vegetable dish which was oddly sweet, but incredibly delicious once she got used to it. Almost before she knew it, however, she was thinking of more questions to ask.

[What exactly is… the sort of place where your family lives? I don’t have a sign for it.] Her studies of Chrysala the night before had not yet reached that subject: what Dritz had referred to as a “homestead.”

If Vela remained nervous, she did not show it, her bright curiousity seeming to be in full force that morning. Dritz was beyond happy about this, feeling more confident in his ability to tell her about Chrysala than his ability to put her nerves to rest.

“Ah, it’s kind of… Usually you’ll find a lot of Chrysalans live very closely. It’ll be a bit more clear when we get there, but basically there are very large buildings that accommodate lots of families at once. Each one has their privacy, of course, but you wouldn’t think twice about eating dinner with another family, or offering food to them, or looking after their kids. Traditionally, that tended to be how partnerships formed, but as our culture takes on more ideas from other planets, more tend to seek out specific traits in their partners, like…” Dritz wave his hands as he tried to think how to explain his meaning, “Okay, it was never simple convenience before, there was still affection, but these days it seems deeper. Bonds are stronger because they’re built on more common ground than simple proximity. Am I making sense, or just rambling?” He laughed, shaking his head.

Vela listened carefully to Dritz’s explanation, nodding at the end. It did make sense, but it was difficult to imagine living in the way he described. Aurians lived close together, but not in any sort of family unit at all.

[Yes. Our experiences in life are very different, so I’m eager to see what it’s like there.] Something about saying this made her a bit anxious again, and she focused on finishing her food before they left and began walking through the streets again.

[Is it far?] she signed absently, glancing at the buildings around her and wondering if it looked similar to any of them.

“Depends on if we want to walk or not,” Dritz said with a laugh. Between them, they decided the walk was pleasant, and Dritz led them through streets that grew gradually wider, the buildings growing taller and more closely compact.

They came to one eventually that had frontage that had seemingly been made from hammered out copper that caught the light in splashes of green, pink and shimming orange. There were different materials jotted about where repairs had been needed, and a strip light that lay above the main door.

Dritz lead them inside and down a corridor. As they turned a corner, a short cry could be heard and small, swift footsteps. As quickly as it had started, the running stopped and a small Chrysalan crashed into Dritz’s legs, causing him to grunt and double over. The tiny body was chirping and buzzing excitedly, and when they looked up, it was a bright eyed girl with her hair pulled into an elaborate plait that had become very messy to reveal short, active antennae. She was grinning up at Dritz, who raised both eyebrows and held up a finger with a few short clicks and buzzes. With that, the little girl looked over at Vela, her twinkling eyes wide and curious.

“Dritz says I have to speak Basic because you don’t speak Chrysalan,” she said softly, slowly extracting herself from Dritz. She looked Vela up and down and turned back to Dritz, “They are really pretty.” Turning back to Vela once more, she repeated herself, “You’re pretty. Even if you can’t speak Chrysalan. And your eye is cool. I’m Tvie… We should be friends.” She smiled hopefully, idly slipping her hand into Dritz’s. Behind her, the older Chrysalan was looking apologetically at Vela.

The home Dritz brought them to fascinated Vela, who stared at everything in a sort of wonder, trying to imagine him having lived there for so many years previously. It looked comfortable and inviting, setting her further at ease. The sudden appearance of a small Chrysalan, darting toward them and straight into Dritz, caught her slightly off guard even though she recovered quickly, realizing it was Tvie before she even introduced herself.

She listened to Tvie’s explanation before giving her a gentle smile, lowering herself down to one knee so the girl could see her signing fully and understand it was her form of speaking. [That’s right, though I wish I could speak Chrysalan. I can’t speak Basic aloud either, but I can understand it, at least. Thank you. I think you’re pretty, too. And I do want to be friends. My name is Vela, and I’m from a planet called Aurctas. I came here with Dritz to meet you and your family.] She looked to Dritz to translate, though her gaze kept returning to Tvie in hopes that she would remain interested.

Tvie’s eyes widened as she watched Vela sign, and she looked up at Dritz as he translated.

“Why can’t you speak?” she asked sadly, reaching a hand up and touching Vela’s neck, “Are you sick?”

Behind her, Dritz out both hands on her shoulders and bent over to lean right above her, beaming, “Vela can speak a little, she’s not sick, but it’s like learning any language; it takes time. Speaking aloud makes her very weak right now, so we won’t ask her to do so, will we?”

“Nuh uh,” Tvie said firmly. She took Vela’s hand and tugged, seeming more "But you have to come meet mum and dad, if you’re Dritz’s friend! Come on! And you have to teach me how to talk with hands!“

Vela could feel her heart warming further as Tvie seemed so concerned about why she couldn’t speak aloud, touching her throat as if to feel a reason there. Of course, Dritz explained, and she nodded her agreement with what he had said. She marveled at the way the young Chrysalan accepted this explanation, and indeed seemed to accept Vela herself, with an open mind and no prejudice at all. She was aware that Tvie was young, which might account for her reaction, but had hope that the others she met would all be the same.

Tvie was now gently pulling at Vela’s hand and asking her to come see her parents and teach her signing, which gave the Aurian an idea. [I do want to meet them, but first I have a question,] she gestured once the girl could see she wanted to speak and let her hand go. [You have a beautiful name, but my language has no sign for it. We had to choose a name sign for Dritz as well.]

She paused for a moment as Dritz translated, as well as showing the sign he had decided on, which was a hand brought from the throat down to the chest. [How would you like your name to be signed, so that I can use it when I speak to you?] she asked Tvie.

The young Chrysalan seemed completely enraptured by this idea, her eyes wide as her smile. "You mean you choose your own name with your hands?” she asked, looking at both of them again.

“Cuz our names don’t exist in Aurian, kiddo, like Vela says. See how I chose this, because that’s where the sound comes from?” he repeated the gesture. Tvie frowned, apparently deep in thought.

“Can it be pretty? Vela, Vela, show me your name!” she demanded, watching it carefully. She repeated it awkwardly, getting it quite incorrect, but apparently understanding the gestures a bit better.

“I know,” she said eventually. She held out one finger to show them, and pointed to the opposite cheek on her own face, bringing it in a ‘v’ shape to the centre of her lower lip, then straight down to her chin. “Tviiieee. Is that okay?”

Vela smiled and nodded, repeating the gesture Tvie had made for her name. It was quite unusual to sign across the face, but she thought the uniqueness was suitable for someone like the small Chrysalan.

[That’s a good sign, Tvie. I’ll remember to use it when I speak to you. You’ll be able to learn some of my other words if we practice for a little while.] It seemed she would be eager to learn, and Vela had no reservations about teaching her as time allowed. Someday it might even turn out to be useful.

[Are your parents busy right now?] she continued absently, trying to peer further down the corridor. [I wouldn’t want to disturb them if they had any plans this morning.]

When Dritz translated that Tvie’s name was a good sign, the little girl's face lit up, and she looked incredibly proud, and somewhat in awe.

With the younger one dragging Vela mercilessly, Dritz opted to answer her questions for her, “Ah, I don’t think they’re that busy today, since they had a rough idea of when we were coming. Chances are their plans will be to chat at us nonstop until we have to fight to leave!” He chuckled, but the tone of it suggested it was not quite the joke he made it out to be.

Tvie led them into an open room with a circular couch sunken into the floor, plush and worn, with a table in the centre and a small step down to the right level. There were some very old machinery parts on the table, and a rag discarded next to a small pile of tools.

“Dritz is here! Come and meet his friend. They’re really nice and we’re best friends already,” Tvie called, letting Vela go and scurrying off to another room, returning shortly after with an adult.

The Chrysalan was a male with very short, wiry hair, a round face with a fixed grin, and a substantial figure. His bulkier frame, and general facial features made him believably Dritz’s father, but when he flung his arms out, enveloping Dritz in a huge hug, his delighted chuckle removed any doubt.

“It’s good to see you, kiddo,” he boomed, giving him a light and playful slap on the arm. “Been a good old while, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty damn long! But I’m here now,” Dritz beamed. He put a gentle hand at the small of Vela’s back and turned between the two of them, “I brought my partner. This is Vela, and this is my dad, Vizn.”

Vela glanced around in curiosity as she was brought into the next room, but her attention was all on Dritz’s father when Tvie reappeared with him.

At first she was somewhat taken aback by how loud his voice seemed, but soon she was staring in wonder, maybe a bit more than she would have considered polite any other time. He was… well, he was larger than Dritz, that much was for certain. For some reason Vela had never considered such a thing possible. She was almost envious of the hug he received from the older Chrysalan, feeling sure it must be very warm and comfortable. Otherwise, he had such a pleasant and friendly demeanor that she relaxed until being introduced as Dritz’s partner.

Before Vizn could react to this information, she stepped up to him and held out her hands in the greeting she had learned, bowing her head. “I am pleased… to meet you.” This had come out very well despite her nerves, but now she was holding her breath and starting to feel a little dizzy. What was he going to think of her?

Vizn’s expression seemed to change so rapidly it might have looked almost comical from the outsider perspective. He’d gone from surprise bordering on concern to shock, and then even more surprise.

None more surprised than Tvie, apparently, as the little Chrysalan pointed accusingly at Dritz, shouting, “You liar, you said Vela couldn’t speak!”

There was a moment of clamouring chaos where Dritz tried to calm Tvie while keeping one eye on his father and the other on Vela, Vizn tried to confront Dritz while trying to acknowledge Vela’s gesture, and the poor Aurian was literally stuck in the middle.

“Tvie,” Vizn boomed, clapping a hand on her shoulder, “Go and play, love, Dritz will be here a while, but we need to talk. Alright?”

The girl nodded, evidently eager to get away suddenly.

Vizn took Vela’s hands and bowed too. “It’s a pleasure,” he said softly. “Vela. A nice name.”

“I know what you’re thinking, dad, and it’s-”

“Partner, you say? Do you know that none of my family has ever partnered with an alien, hm?” he said conversationally, addressing both of them.

“Yeah, 'course. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t either! Vela and I have a stronger bond than I ever thought possible with a partner,” Dritz said softly.

Vizn looked at them both seriously for a long, painful moment. His size seemed to be useful in intimidating as well as endearing. “I see. Well, I think it’s probably time I made drinks. I was going to make a pot of tea if you’re interested.”

In the action which ensued after her greeting, Vela went from dizzy to lightheaded to suddenly weak, slumping a little toward Dritz, who naturally tried to support her. The words had taken much from her, but to hear the rest of what was said…

She shook her head vaguely at Tvie, wanting to remind her what happened when she talked and to say it hadn’t been a lie, but the little girl was being told to leave for now. The look Vizn was giving them made her shrink back slightly to the extent her current energy allowed. Of course this wasn’t going to be easy. There had been no possible way it could be.

[Dritz is right,] she signed when she felt able, turning toward him so he could see. [Our bond is strong. My people’s bodies adapt to our partners, and if he had not been the one for me, it would not have done so. I know that doesn’t help now, but it’s true.] She paused a moment, wondering if she had gone too far. [I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Your tea is wonderful and I would like to have some, but only if you are comfortable with me staying.] It felt too difficult to look directly at Vizn now, when she had wanted to stare before. What if he didn’t like her at all?

Dritz translated with a warm smile that did not quite mask the frustration and concern in his eyes.

"We cannot produce children together, but we care deeply for one another, love each other. How is this,” he said to Vizn, gesturing to himself and Vela, “Any different from you taking a male partner? You can’t reproduce, it’s about companionship, love, pleasure.”

This had, evidently, been the wrong thing to say, as Vizn’s expression darkened.

“A male Chrysalan is not an alien,” he said firmly.

“Don’t yell at them,” came a tiny voice from the doorway. Tvie was peeking around, barely visible. “Why are you mad… I don’t get it? Vela is nice, and pretty, and they make Dritz happy. That makes me happy, because I love Dritz lots. Why aren’t you happy, daddy?”

The room stayed silent for a long moment, and Dritz beamed at his young sibling. Vizn seemed to consider this for what felt like a physically painful amount of time before sighing deeply.

“Forgive me,” he said. His antennae had started to drift from their arched position back to a more relaxed one. “Perhaps we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.” He took Vela’s hands and did the gesture she had, but in reverse. “You have chosen my son, I owe it to you both to be more open to the idea. Hopefully you can forgive my outburst.”

At the doorway, Tvie was smiling to herself.

For quite some time, Vela felt as though she had been squeezing her hands together in worry. Yet when all had been said and done and Vizn was seeming to relent a little, she relaxed enough to allow him to take her hands in the gesture she had done before. What Dritz had said made sense to her, and it bothered her that it was her very alienness itself that might make her an unworthy partner to him in the eyes of some.

At the same time, she couldn’t blame Vizn. Her own people would not know what to think of her and Dritz, and there had never been a pairing between one of them and anyone from off world. She hadn’t expected to be such a “pioneer” in so many areas of her life, either.

Tvie’s help also made her smile warmly at the little girl, pleased that she could understand. [Thank you for your hospitality,] she signed to Vizn, bowing her head again. [Your willingness to give me a chance. I forgive you, but I understand. My people, the Aurians, may not know what to make of my pairing either. But I am willing to risk the displeasure of anyone at all if it means I can remain by Dritz’s side. You will see that we do so much for each other, and in fact we love each other.]

Her strength was coming back to her, but her legs remained just the slightest bit wobbly. [I’m sorry, I would like to sit down for now. Speaking aloud is a difficulty for me, though I am practicing.]

This time, Vizn focused on Vela while Dritz translated (with warmth that bordered on the emotional). The larger Chrysalan smiled and nodded.

“Well… that’s lovely to hear. I hope your people are understanding. Now,” he said, “Do have a seat, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue what to do if you were to faint. I’ll get you a drink.” His manner was still slightly awkward as he processed the information, but with his shock fading, there was more of what was very recognisably Dritz’s humour coming into his voice.

Once he left, Dritz flopped next to Vela and enveloped her in a huge hug, kissing the top of her head. “You okay, flower?”

From the doorway, Tvie was still watching, only her hand on the doorframe and the top of her face visible as she watched them.

“Tvie, what are you doing…” came an amused voice from further in the house. A Chrysalan woman appeared, having scooped up Tvie, and quickly turned around again, “Oh, sorry, do you want me to leave you?” Despite what was a visibly slim and toned frame, she was petite and almost goofy with her manner, averting her eyes in every direction with a little smile.

“No, ma, it’s fine. This is Vela. And this is my mum, Nisk. I’m sure you heard everything else…” Dritz said, sheepishly, still holding Vela gently.

Vela sank down onto the couch gratefully, watching Vizn leave before Dritz joined her. A drink would be just what she needed at this point, to relax and hopefully re-energize herself.

[I’m alright,] she signed after Dritz had held her a little while. [Just tired.]

She was content to stay there, not noticing they were being watched, and a voice from further down the hall made her move again slightly in time to see a petite Chrysalan woman entering the room with Tvie in her arms. Vela was curious about her behavior, but as she was introduced to Dritz’s mother, she tried to sit up again.

[I am pleased to meet you. My apologies, I wanted to greet you aloud and with the traditional gestures, but I underestimated how much energy it would take to do twice in a row.] She paused a moment before simply deciding to be honest. [I hope you can understand that what’s between Dritz and myself is real and it’s both what we truly want. I’m glad to be here in your home, it’s lovely.] The flow of her statements seemed awkward, but she was not exactly sure what to say when she knew so little about Nisk and how she felt about Vela being her son’s partner.

Nisk blinked and glanced at Dritz with a small smile, waiting for him to translate.

“Oh, darling, don’t worry. I mean… I dunno how most alien physiology works, but if you don’t normally speak aloud, I can understand. I get exhausted from speaking and I do it all the time!” she laughed; an undignified, snorting, but completely contagious giggle. Adjusting Tvie in her arms, she nodded, “I trust Dritz’s judgement. He’s never really been one for partnering before, so for him to do so, you must be special.”

Tvie nodded firmly, her hair bouncing as she did so. “Make daddy understand too,” she said, in what was a childlike whisper (so, essentially louder than a normal sentence.)

[Really?] Vela signed without thinking. [Why do you say that?] Suddenly it was a little embarrassing to realize she was asking a question about Dritz which he could either answer himself or translate for his mother to answer. But she did want to know why he hadn’t seemed to show much interest in partnering, and if she was really special in some way.

Nisk seemed different from Vizn in ways Vela hadn’t expected either, beyond her size in comparison. While she hadn’t known the reaction from either in advance, she found it was a pleasant surprise that one would be so accepting, while the other seemed open to the idea given some time. [Thank you for your understanding. I will be fine soon. I hope we aren’t imposing on any plans you might have had today.] She eyed both Nisk and Tvie curiously, wishing she could speak more aloud already, which would be so much more convenient. She would have to redouble her efforts to practice.

Dritz snorted as he went to translate, holding back giggles. “Go on, ma, I wanna hear what you think is the reason.”

Nisk looked pleadingly at Dritz before giving him a mocking glare and shaking her head, “Oh heck… Well, I don’t know why he hasn’t really had a partner yet. He’s always been more focused on work, and ships.”

“No one here really caught my eye the same way you did. I’ve had…” Dritz glanced at his mother, evidently less forthright with his language around her, “Experiences with others, and it was fun, but absolutely nothing compared to you. You’re fascinating, and strong, and unique.”

Tvie wriggled out of Nisk’s arms and wandered over to Vela, sitting on the arm of the chair next to her.

“Nooo, not at all, we were looking forward to seeing you, both of you!” Nisk said brightly once she had been informed of the translation.

Soon, Vizn returned with a tray of tea in shallow, wide cups. “Here we go. You feeling any better?” he said, handing one to Vela. His manner was still awkward, but now it seemed almost sheepish.

With a little smile, Vela listened to Dritz explain why he hadn’t yet taken a partner, amused at first by his interaction with his mother, then in sentimental appreciation of his kind words to her.

[There are many wonderful Chrysalans on this planet. I know you haven’t met them all, but to think you would choose me over anyone you had met previously…] Her hands slowly moved onto her lap in what would be the Aurian equivalent of trailing off into silence. All she could do was gaze lovingly into Dritz’s eyes until she was distracted by Tvie sitting near her.

She gave the girl a smile as well, reassured that no one had other plans to attend to, and looked at Vizn cautiously when he returned. He did seem more calm, and maybe a little embarrassed by his previous behavior.

[Yes, thank you. The tea will help even more.] She accepted the cup and sipped carefully as Vizn distributed the rest, waiting until everyone had been able to drink before carefully setting hers on the table in front of her to sign further. [Dritz introduced me to your wonderful tea not long after I met him. I find it soothing, even more than other warm drinks I’ve had. They mean more to me than some would think.]

She was feeling remarkably relaxed now, surprising considering how nervous she had felt before. [If I can answer any questions you might have, I will try my best to set your minds at ease about anything you want to know.]

With a translation, Vizn seemed impressed. “You like it? Marvellous, I don’t trust folk who don’t!” he said with a bright laugh, slowly relaxing into the company.

“I have never heard anything of Aurians,” Nisk said, leaning forward and adding a small pink capsule to her tea that melted into the water, tinging it further. “Are… Well, forgive me if this is a rude question… Are you a new species, mixed with-” she cocked her head, “human?”

Tvie jiggled her knee eagerly, though she waited quite politely until she was able to ask, “How did you lose your eye? Does your metal one do cool stuff?”

Vela nodded, pleased to see that Vizn was seeming much more at ease. Nisk’s question was one she was expecting, but she found herself a little distracted by wishing she could ask what the Chrysalan woman had put in her drink.

[It’s understandable. Aurians are not well known in the galaxy. Our species actually arose long ago, but I do expect human involvement at some point shaped us more into what we are today.] Her smile then became a little amused as she thought they may at least have that much in common. [Our records are damaged, but my research showed we were a society based in and near the ocean. We had to leave our original planet over a thousand years ago to find a new home, and the result has been… less than ideal.] She exchanged a glance with Dritz, wondering if he would tell them more or if they should wait for another time.

Tvie’s question was answered a little more easily. [I know this sounds strange, but I voluntarily gave up my eye to experiment with this prosthetic. It allows me to see great distances, but it’s not quite telescopic. I may have some modifications done at some point to see if it can be improved.] It was a matter she had been debating but hadn’t yet brought up with Dritz, and she wondered what he would think of that too.

Dritz translated it all somewhat sadly. “That’s actually one of the things that brought us here, but that’s a discussion for another time,” he explained.

Tvie seemed fascinated by Vela’s augmentation, peering at it with a tiny smile. “Did it hurt?” she asked in awe once Dritz had explained, sounding quite surprised at the idea of modifications.

“More importantly, will further tampering hurt?” her lover asked, a slight sternness to his voice which mingled with his obvious concern. “Maybe… Maybe I could be the one to do it, huh?”

[It hurt for a little while, yes,] Vela admitted to Tvie, with a wary glance at Dritz. [A friend performed the procedure, but we didn’t have the best technology for it. There are times I get dizzy and faint with rapid or sudden motion, but maybe modifying it further could help with that too.]

She turned to Dritz then in order to address his concern. [I’m not sure. I think it could help more than hurt. As I said, it could be better stabilized to take away some of the motion problems. I know I don’t really need it to be telescopic, but… I think it would be fun.] Pausing, she gave Dritz an apologetic smile. [I suppose you could do it, yes… but would that be something you’d be comfortable with?] She remembered his general squeamishness, though since the operation shouldn’t involve any living tissue this time around, he might actually be alright with it.

Before she could forget, her curiosity prompted her to look over at Nisk. [What did you put in your drink?] she signed for Dritz to translate, her eagerness to know unable to be held back any longer.

“Whhhoooaaaa!” Tvie whispered, “You let a friend do that?”

“Hey, you, don’t go getting any ideas,” Vizn said with a laugh. Tvie pouted, but did not seem upset by the notion, just continuing to be fascinated by Vela’s eye.

Meanwhile, Dritz was frowning sternly. The thought of the initial procedure did make him feel a bit odd, but the actual mechanical eye was interesting, and if it meant she would experience less dizziness, all the better. “If anyone is laying a hand on you for something so delicate, I’d rather it was me,” he said, squeezing her knee. “I’ll do extensive studying first though. I’m not even considering doing anything to it without as much knowledge as possible.”

Nisk’s antennae flicked and she smiled sheepishly, “Ah, it was a sweetener… Would you like one? These are rose flavour.”

“She’d put the damn things in everything if she could,” Vizn sighed, putting an arm around his partner and kissing her temple, “Not like you even need any sweetening!”

Tvie’s response was rather amusing, but Vela had to make clear that her friend had been an adult who had specifically studied modifications to the fullest extent available to them beforehand.

She then considered telling Dritz they could find someone else who would be entirely capable of working on her eye, yet something about his stern expression told her that he wouldn’t hear of it. Besides, she trusted him to do the research and could help him, and it would mean more to her if he was the one to modify it. It seemed to mean a lot to him, so she nodded her agreement.

When Nisk offered what she had called a sweetener, Vela was eager to accept one of the capsules. It was true that she didn’t care for a lot of sweetness, but the novelty was one she wanted to try at least once. She took another sip of her newly pink-tinged tea and declared it was delicious without exaggeration. She had to wonder what different flavors there might be. Other worlds certainly had a lot of variety.

[What is it that you both do?] she signed respectfully to Dritz in order for him to translate to Vizn and Nisk. She felt sure he had told her previously, at least in a vague form, but it could be that her nerves had made her temporarily forget.

The young Chrysalan pouted a little, but it seemed to be her general 'listening to grown-ups’ face, as there was no hurt, frustration, or otherwise behind her eyes.

Vizn smiled proudly, and proceeded to talk at length about his work, which he was evidently very pleased with. Like Dritz, he was keenly interested in ships, but he dealt more with the design and testing stages, working out the kinks and quirks and flaws with his team before the parts went for fabrication. It was clear he had many a story about various design flaws, as nearly fifteen minutes had passed before he seemed to be letting Nisk speak.

“Are you quite finished, love?” she sighed, patting his midsection affectionately. “He is such a workaholic. But then, historically, Chrysalans tend to be. I own a little repair service. It’s not much, but it was a job I could make money from, and aside from the health of those I care about,, that’s more than I could ever wish for.” She smiled warmly, “What about you, Vela? What was your job, or your role or position in your community?”

Vela listened attentively to Vizn speaking about his work, nodding every now and then to show she understood. He did go on quite a while, but she was certainly finding it interesting. [That’s wonderful,] she managed to sign eventually. [It’s very admirable to be that passionate about what you do.]

She turned her attention brightly to Nisk as she spoke, smiling at her reasoning. [And that’s understandable. I’m glad you enjoy it so much.] Her smile did falter, however, when asked about her own life on Aurctas.

[I had nothing truly special or unique. Aurians have to fend for themselves, because the only way we survived was by trading for food and supplies. The planet could not provide for us otherwise.] Though she tried not to look sad, it was impossible to mask all of her disappointment. [So we are all miners and traders there; there is no other way. Which is part of the reason why I had to leave to find a better way for us.]

She couldn’t just leave it at that. [I never meant to get Dritz caught up in this with me,] she signed, glancing down. [I didn’t mean to… to fall in love with him. I just hope you will both understand. He wants to help me better my people and I can’t talk him out of that.] The question that had been asked of her felt as though there could be no other response. She didn’t want to hide anything from Vizn and Nisk.

Dritz watched his father’s eyes as he translated what Vela had said. Vizn was reconsidering her, and Dritz knew it. He knew she would be liked.

His heart fluttered when he had to repeat what Vela had said, but he did so word for word, as he always did and always would do, though he did falter as he said the word 'love’, which was still such a wonderfully dizzying thing to feel.

“I wanted to help. I would have helped even if nothing more than friendship had developed between us. Before I fell in love, I already loved you, you could have asked anything from me,” he muttered. It was weird to say these things in front of his parents, but if anything, he imagined it might make a difference to how his father viewed the relationship.

Dividing her attention between Dritz and his parents, Vela noted the sentimental way he translated and how their expressions all changed slightly. Vizn in particular was watching her closely, but he didn’t seem so intense as before. Maybe he approved of her more now? She was only hoping for the moment.

[I see. It’s good to know that. Regardless of anything else, I’m glad we did fall in love.] This had been for her lover alone, and she could tell he knew that since he didn’t translate. They gazed at each other in passionate emotion for a little while until they were both distracted by Tvie bouncing up to get their attention.

Growing bored with so much talk, Tvie had hopped up to sit on Vela’s lap, via clambering all over Dritz. Because clambering right onto Vela directly would be rude. And anyway, her parents had not said anything for a little while.

“Are you gunna be joined? Like… M-… Marriaged? I heard that’s what humans do, and you get to have a party and a pretty dress? Do Aurie-yans do that? Can I please touch your hair? Is Dritz your primary?” she babbled, not waiting for a response before reaching up and stroking a strand of Vela’s hair in awe, muttering “pretty” under her breath.

They made more small talk for a while, his parents catching Dritz up on the current affairs of their district, when the door opened and another Chrysalan slipped in, looking confused and surprised when he spotted Dritz. He was very slender and had a symmetrical face, along with the long, willowy limbs and soft hair that was considered so attractive on Chrysala.

“Surpriiise!” Dritz said, waving his hands excitedly.

“You never said you were coming! But now you’re here you can tell me what your message was about,” Kli huffed, tugging off the heavy duty gloves he had needed to wear for work.

At first Vela rested one arm loosely around Tvie, holding the little girl gently on her lap as she chattered away. It was an unfamiliar experience, one which made her vaguely wish for the first time that having a child like this might be possible for her too.

[I’m not certain yet. I’m not so familiar with the customs of humans, but that sounds nice. Dritz and I might have quite a while before discussing any of that.] She exchanged an amused glance with her lover. [My people bond in a different way. Yes. And I believe that would be what you call it… though Aurians only take one partner. I won’t want another.]

She had done her best to answer the stream of questions despite Tvie already reaching up and touching her hair, and then the door opened to further bewilder her. Certain this was Dritz’s brother, Vela only gave him a smile in the hope that Dritz would be explaining her presence shortly. It was definitely obvious he had not gotten the meaning of the message, at least.

Tvie responded quite happily when Vela put her arm around, leaning into it and smiling. “That’s nice,” she said softly when Dritz had translated, adding that he didn’t want another partner either (they were both aware of Nisk’s eye’s widening, though she did not look displeased, and Vizn’s mouth curled up in one corner, but neither of them said anything), “It’s weird to just have one partner, but maybe it would be weirder if you only wanted one but Dritz wanted more…” She started to muse aloud to no one in particular, “I think maybe I will have lots, because I like lots of people.”

Meanwhile, Kli had finally seemed to notice Vela, and was staring at her.

“You wanna gawk any more, ooor…?” Dritz teased, leaning back and putting his arm around Vela. “This is Vela. She’s the reason I wanted to visit. Vela, this is Kli, my totally-not-usually-this-rude brother.”

This seemed to finally make the scrawny Chrysalan realise what he was doing, and he smiled warmly, almost flirtatiously, at Vela. “Sorry, sorry, I’m not used to meeting aliens. I mean, not that that’s a bad thing. I mean, I know some aliens, but they’re mostly… I mean…” he babbled, giving her an awkward grin.

“Well, now you know another. Vela is my partner,” Dritz said proudly.

“They might get married! Like humans do! Isn’t that cool?” Tvie said brightly.

Though she didn’t say so, Vela agreed it might be a little strange if Dritz were to want more partners while she only wanted him. As they had discussed before, there was a sadness behind the idea in her way of thinking, but it was fortunate it had turned out that Dritz couldn’t imagine another partner, either. The idea of Tvie wanting “lots” was amusing, still being so young.

Kli finally stopped staring and responded to her presence, though the way he smiled made her curious. [We might,] she signed cautiously, not wanting to ignore what Tvie had said or disappoint her by telling her it was unlikely they might undergo a human ritual just yet. [I’m pleased to meet you,] she continued to Kli, bowing her head slightly before looking up in curiousity. [Yes, I am Dritz’s partner. You know some? They are mostly… what?] Maybe there was something extra unusual about the way she appeared, or it was something else, but she realized that she very much wanted to know what he had been referring to.

“He’s trying to say that most aliens are outsiders,” Dritz added after his translation, with a pointed glance at Kli, who visibly tensed.

“No, not in a bad way… They… They keep to themselves, I’m just surprised is all!” he babbled. “I really don’t mean offense. Honest! And wait… Partner? Really?”

Dritz sighed, a rare moment of impatience for him, “Yes. I am very, very in love with her, she loves me, and we connect perfectly, so can we please leave it at that? I brought her to meet the other important folk in my life.”

Kli seemed to sort of realise what was said, and he nodded. It was clear he had questions, but Dritz’s face meant he kept them to himself for the moment.

The explanation troubled Vela a little, but she supposed Kli didn’t really mean anything bad by it. Personally she could understand if those alien to a world tried to keep more to themselves out of fear of offending the natives or just plain general anxiety over being in such a strange place. She had to wonder if she would be the same here on Chrysala without Dritz.

[He’s right about what he says,] Vela confirmed in an attempt to smooth over the situation. [We are very happy together. Your brother is a wonderful person.] Then she tried to change the subject in order to calm everyone further. [Where did you just come from? A job? What is it you do?] She was assuming because the gloves he wore were similar to Dritz’s that the younger Chrysalan had been at work and wondered if he was similar to the rest of his family when it came to it.

Dritz chose to keep Vela’s words about him being wonderful to himself, like a secret just for him. Kli didn’t need to know that. He didn’t need to know anything about their relationship. Frankly, Dritz was irked there was not so much support for them as he had been expecting.

Instead, he translated the rest. Kli seemed quite pleased to answer, patting his bunched up gloves inside his hand. “Oh, I’m an apprentice, learning how to repair the trams. It’s… Pretty hard, but I think I’m okay. Learning the ropes, so to speak.”

Dritz chuckled, nodding in approval, “Nice one.”

“One what?” Kli asked innocently, unaware of the pun he’d made. Given the trams being suspended. Using ropes.

Of course, Vela didn’t understand what Dritz was referring to either, but for a completely different reason, as she had never seen the trams being repaired.

[That sounds nice. I’m sure you’ll do well,] she offered hesitantly, still aware of a certain amount of tension in the room. It wasn’t a lot, though she could see her partner wasn’t as happy with how everyone had responded as he might be.

Considering this, she turned her attention back to the one who had been most excited for them, who was still sitting on her lap. [And what would you like to do someday? Do you have any ideas?] Tvie seemed delighted to be asked a question, and Vela had been careful not to suggest the girl might be too young to know yet.

Tvie, seemingly unaware of any tension in the room, babbled happily to Vela about how she wanted to be a pilot who was also a fashion designer, but she wasn’t sure which would be her more important job, and explained a very complicated method she had decided on to balance the two.

Soon after, Dritz made some pleasant enough excuses for them, saying he had some errands to run, and he ushered the two of them out (once he could pry Tvie off Vela and help the Aurian promise to come back and visit her, because they were friends.)

With many goodbyes out of the way and the streets outside of his home somehow more quiet than the house itself, Dritz sighed, pulling Vela into his arms.

“You did great. I know it sounds patronising… But I really mean that. You really… Really helped avert the gripes I was having with Kli.”

Tvie’s response was rather delightful, and Vela felt herself relaxing as she listened to the complicated (and definitely improbable) plan she had come up with to handle working two such very important jobs.

It would be untrue, however, to say she wasn’t the least bit relieved to depart the house for now. Likely the rest of Dritz’s family had to discuss them privately and it would be for the best if they could do so soon. Promising to return to see Tvie, who was very insistent on this matter, Vela said goodbye to everyone else and eagerly returned Dritz’s embrace when they were outside again.

[Thank you. I did what I thought I could, but… are you sure everything will be alright?] The way half of them had reacted was slightly troubling. [What were you upset with him for?] She wondered if it had to do with Kli’s disbelief when it came to their relationship, but wanted to ask to be sure.

Dritz sighed, shaking his head and kissing Vela’s temple.

“I might have expected something like that from dad, but Kli is part of my generation… We’ve seen change in Chrysala more than my parents ever really did. Sure, the changes started years ago, but it’s only recent that it’s been so rapid, like… Heading headfirst into a completely different world beyond just work and family. More and more are deciding to be monogamous, and I know I’ve seen alien couples. Yeah, it’s rare but… It’s not as though it should be this big thing. It’s just so… Archaic to think of partnerships as only being for reproduction,” he ranted, rubbing his forehead. “After dad’s reaction it was just especially frustrating. He’s an idiot and I love him, but I just expected better.”

He stroked her hair, just long enough that it sat obediently behind her ear for a second before springing back to where it clearly preferred to sit.

“I love you. They will too, they just need time to process, I think.”

Though she hesitated briefly, Vela nodded. [I think I understand. You would want them to be accepting of your choices no matter what they are. You already know how different my planet is. I’m not sure if they will react the same, or if they won’t care. It’s going to be a new concept for them.]

She let him play with her hair, watching him with the smallest smile. [I never had considered it before, but after I met you, I knew that I didn’t need a partner for reproduction. I will be happy with you no matter what we can and can’t do.] Leaning up to kiss him, she decided maybe it was time to leave the subject behind for now.

[And I love you. We’ll give them a chance to think about it. Do you know if… Are there any gardens on Chrysala?] Her sudden interest had made her switch from one sentence to another awkwardly. She gave him a hopeful smile, thinking it would be nice to relax and look around.

Dritz smiled, pleased that Vela seemed to see where he was coming from so readily. It was one of the many things that made him certain they were good together. Better than good, in fact. It baffled him that his family could not see things from his perspective in the same way.

The thought of fathering children had never been one which had held much weight to Dritz; he loved looking after Tvie, but beyond that he hadn’t thought much about it, and so to hear such a thing from Vela reassured him in a way he didn’t know he’d been wanting.

He beamed in response to her question, which was sudden and completely adorable. “Actually, yeah… in a manner of speaking,” he said with a chuckle, leading her towards the nearest tram station.

When they arrived in the farming sector, it looked fairly industrial, while also being clinical, until Dritz led her up in a lift which opened out into a wide expanse of verdant greenery and widely spread exotic flowers in deep crimsons and purples, all covered in a thin sheen of moisture from the humidity. The smell was heady but earthy, and inviting.

Dritz explained that they had come to the farming sector, and Vela wasn’t sure what to expect. It was not like the gardens she had experienced thus far in her limited travel, but spread out in a wide swath of land in front of her, nearly as far as she could see. Most of the plant growth was low to the ground and arranged in neat rows; she was happy to note that the plants were still covered in many flowers. When she remembered they were actually above the ground at the moment, she had to turn back to Dritz in wonder.

[This is amazing. And it’s all above the surface of the planet… Your scientists must have worked very hard to accomplish this idea. You say it is a farm, but it’s so beautiful. I didn’t expect a farm to be like this from what I had read. And the smell is incredible. I have never…] She trailed off, shaking her head. The smell was intoxicating, in fact, and the major component that had been missing in the holographic garden on Hesperus. Everything was so fresh and alive, which was not something she was used to in the slightest.

After a little while of gazing about further, she dropped to her knees for a better view, just at the edge of the farmland. [These are all food crops?] she inquired of Dritz, directing her signing up at him. She wasn’t aware how much he knew of Chrysalan agriculture but thought it was worth asking.

Watching Vela when she was around new plants was one of Dritz’s favourite things, he decided. The wonder in her eyes, her eagerness to take in absolutely everything at once, no matter how impossible that might be.

He knelt next to her and plucked one of the flowers, a deep purple that almost looked indulgent. "Yeah. This floor in particular, and I chose it for a very important reason, is where we grow tea.“ He beamed at her, reaching up and tucking the flower behind her ear. "Beautiful.”

He picked a different one, this time plucking a few bright red petals off it and rubbing them between his finger and thumb for a few moments, “It’s not quite the same, buuut…” He held it up for her to smell. The heat from his hand and the crushed petals made a smell almost identical to the tea they had earlier.

There was a moment of further amazement for Vela when she heard Dritz tell her the plants were tea. Really, she should have known, but there were so many different types that she had not imagined it to be the case. She sat in quiet contemplation of this for a time, smiling slightly when he placed one of the purple flowers behind her ear.

Eager to verify for herself, she leaned forward and inhaled the scent of the flower lightly crushed in his hand. It was exactly the aroma of the tea, more concentrated and even headier. [It’s so beautiful,] she echoed Dritz’s sentiments, though she was referring to the smell instead. [I wish you had a proper garden full of tea flowers. The farm is lovely, but I imagine they won’t want us sitting here too long.]

Yet they did linger, Vela eventually leaning against Dritz when she had stared around her for what felt like nearly long enough. She was pulled to his warmth, how soft he felt and how comforting as she gently nuzzled her cheek against his chest. All of the tension and worry seemed drained, leaving her feeling so much better than she had before they had reached the farmland.

“You are right, flower, but as it happens, because we don’t have much natural landscape anymore, the farms are open for the public for some hours a day,” Dritz explained softly, lazily playing with Vela’s hair while they cuddled, sitting at the edge of the tea plants and looking out over them. “But yeah, we should go soon, I guess.”

Eventually, he stood, scooping her up with him. Vela still cradled in his arms, he beamed, “So, what say we grab something simple, food-wise, to take back to the room, and have a nice hot bath together? It’s been quite a day, and it’ll be nice to just enjoy you all to myself for a while.” He kissed her cheek before setting her down carefully.

Finding out that the gardens were open at times to anyone who might like to visit was very comforting to Vela. [That’s good. We will have to come back later and see more of the farms.] Even if the rest weren’t as pretty as the tea farm, she had an unquenchable curiosity when it came to any and all plants and knew she would love it anyway.

Though she agreed with all of Dritz’s ideas after he had swept her up, she was initially concerned that he was about to carry her through all of it. When he kissed her cheek and set her down again, however, she nearly felt like she could laugh in her amusement over her own thoughts. Instead she only smiled but didn’t explain, moving closer to kiss him sweetly before taking his hand to leave the farm.

It had been a long day, but with Dritz remaining at her side, she realized she did not mind nearly as much.


	31. Overseers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Vela meet with the overseers of Chrysala.

After a beautifully calm evening, Dritz slept better than he had in a while, nearly oversleeping until Vela gently nudged him awake and the two of them started to get ready for the counsel.

Though he knew he wouldn’t really be needed, Dritz chose the most appropriate thing he owned that would still be smart, a high-collared floral suit with uncharacteristically muted colours, and boots that he even made sure to polish carefully.

“It’s not really much of a formal affair, the meeting, but it shows respect for the overseers. As open as they are for visitors, and as much as they strive for equality between the public and overseers, counsel meetings are very, very rarely accessible to the public. So since we’re in a pretty privileged position, I figured… Dress to impress,” he explained with a goofy smile.

Vela watched Dritz as he dressed, almost feeling too nervous to do the same. Eventually she had to choose her own outfit, deciding on clothes that best represented her people: one of her slightly oversized dark tunics and warm leggings. Too warm for Chrysala, considering, but she felt perfectly able to endure being too warm over being too cold.

[You look nice,] she told Dritz, standing near him and smoothing one hand along the front of his jacket for a moment. [So you won’t know what’s going to happen, if the public doesn’t see much of the counsels? Or do you know anything else about them?] She could imagine that all the overseers likely had a chance to speak in turn, but beyond that she struggled to think of what a counsel might actually be like.

Dritz couldn’t help leaning into Vela’s touch just slightly, enjoying the attraction in her gaze. While his looks had never been a big problem for him, to know there was one with whom his attraction was mutual was still a novel feeling.

“So do you, flower. I know I say you look nice in everything, but… This stuff, your tunics and cloaks… I kinda fell for you first while you still wore this and only this. So it’s got a special place in my heart, y'know?”

He brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face before continuing, “Yeah, it’s normally done more casually, but because we brought it to be called, I think it has the potential to be a shorter affair. Usually it'd be discussing the districts and what the issues are in them, then all coming together to work out solutions to any problems. So say… There’s drug deals going on in the lower districts. Szna might spare a policing force to help the other district, or she might offer stricter crossing through her own district to avoid continuing the route,” he explained. “This should be very quick. We present our cause, Szna does much of the talking, but with our backup I think we’ll have support for the Aurians.”

The fact that Dritz enjoyed her Aurian clothing so much was a little surprising to Vela, but it made sense when he explained the reason behind it. She smiled and nodded, thanking him with a small kiss before fetching a comb to continue helping him with his hair.

[I hadn’t thought of that. Of course it would be shorter and more simplified as a special counsel. We are the ones who brought it about. I appreciate her for doing this, but hope it wasn’t too much trouble for her… then again, I think she really wanted to do it.] One of the main reasons she had hope of this working was because of Szna’s dedication to their cause, which made her incredibly happy to think about.

After attempting to tame her own hair and largely failing (it still sprung in wisps however it wanted), they left their room and began making their way to where the counsel would be held, Vela keeping her determination at the front of her mind to ease her own worry.

Dritz lead Vela through the city to where Szna had asked them to meet her. She had sent a message directing them to a more upmarket portion of the district, featuring newer buildings built with more aesthetically pleasing frontage, shinier metals and softer lines, drawing influence from wide and far. As Dritz explained to Vela, this was due to the changing influence of the galaxy on Chrysala’s creativity, the fashion seeping into their culture, making looks a more considered aspect of things.

Waiting nearby was Szna, dressed in the same understated overalls, but this time with a large medallion about her shoulders. The bronze chain was thick and interwoven with green fabric, holding a bronze disc with a map of the district hammered into it; the closest things Chrysala had to marks of authority, only worn for official meetings.

“Good morning, friends,” she said as they approached. She took each of their hands in turn, clasping them and saying their names; she had remembered. “I spent a good time preparing for every eventuality today, but I still may need to call on the two of you. Is that alright?”

As they walked, Vela kept her attention on the sights around her, which further helped calm her nerves. She especially marveled at the buildings, unable to imagine living or working in them despite the fact the ancient Aurians surely would have had such lovely architecture as well. With a smile, she told Dritz that it was wonderful they had adopted designs from other cultures and could see the beauty within them well enough to do so.

She was captivated by Szna’s necklace first, thinking she had never seen anything like it either, and subconsciously touching where her gift from Dritz lay hidden under her tunic. [Good morning,] she signed before taking the overseer’s hand, pleased that her name had been remembered. [Thank you. Yes, I am ready to say anything I need to in order to help, and I know Dritz will translate for me. You are doing so much for us.] With these words, Vela’s determination seemed to be set, and her resolution fixed on what was about to happen.

Once Dritz had translated for her, Szna smiled at Vela, holding out an arm to lead them.

“I am doing my duty. Chrysala is my home, but it has its place in the galaxy, and it has a duty to help where possible. I would expect assistance from other planets if my people were in dire need, and we can do no less.” With a somewhat sad tone, she added, “I believe we as a people are still too closed off from other worlds; we will accept their culture but not them? It saddens me.”

Vela had to pause and study Szna a moment with new interest. From the way she spoke, it seemed there might be a personal reason behind her assistance rather than simply wanting to help them. That wasn’t a bad thing at all, but it did interest her enough that she thought she might ask later, after the counsel meeting.

With a nod of agreement, she allowed the Chrysalan overseer to lead the way into the building as she walked alongside Dritz.

Dritz had been agreeing enthusiastically, evidently too eager to voice his approval to notice the hint in Szna’s statement, or the sad determination in her eyes.

As she led them, Szna explained the two counsel members that would be their main opposition in anything they said. Tvek was the incredibly stern overseer of the industrial estate, which housed the oldest established metalworks and very few residential areas. She was traditional, old fashioned; one who believed that things were done a certain way for a reason and nothing needed to change. Vri was younger and more naïve, she did not see the importance of trade relations, nor had she adapted her thinking to include offworlders. For one so young, she was remarkably xenophobic.

Eventually they came to a taller building, just as nondescript as Szna’s office. The three of them were greeted by a small, slight Chrysalan man, clearly just getting his start in the business of their govern, as he seemed almost in awe of Szna as he escorted them.

The counsel were already assembled and ready when they arrived, five other Chrysalan women of varying skintones and hair colours, each with a large medallion of their own colour and metal; all practical and neutral coloured fabric attachments.

Vela listened closely to everything Szna told them, and paid extra attention when discussing the more difficult overseers. It was disheartening to think that some remained this way despite any advancements they had made otherwise; however, Vela knew that she herself might not be considered a typical Aurian when compared to any of the rest. They would not listen to her while she was there, but perhaps with all of this additional support and a reasonable alternative for a home already prepared, they would be more willing.

When they entered the next building and the room where the counsel would be held, Vela felt some of her nervous thoughts returning. It felt as though each Chrysalan was staring right at her, but that would be understandable in such a situation if it was true. She went where she was directed by Szna, Dritz still at her side, and tried to focus on the appearance of each woman, and how each of their medallions was different and lovely, while she waited for the meeting to proceed.

Szna greeted the others graciously, warmly even.

“Zask, my dear,” she said brightly, embracing a willowy Chrysalan with very dark, very short blue hair and soft features. The two engaged in small talk about Zask’s recent improvements to her district, and the plans for another tram line.

While Szna made her way around the group, greeting them with hugs and chatter, Dritz kept close to Vela, stroking her back gently.

Eventually, Szna moved to a high round table and gestured for all, including Vela and Dritz, to join her. Everyone remained standing, as the table had been built for the meetings to be conducted as such.

“I am sure we are eager to discover why it was I called you here,” she announced. Gesturing to Vela and Dritz, she introduced them. “Ladies, we are idle as a people, and we ignore the needs of our galactic neighbours at every turn. We do our jobs well for our people, and I think the time has come for us to direct our attentions further. Vela comes to us from Aurctas, and wishes our assistance in the survival and preservation of her species. It’s my opinion that we can give it to her.’

"And why, do tell, should the resources needed for Chrysala be transferred to this… Aurctas for use? I have not even heard of such a world, why should my district suffer for them?” From Szna’s description, the Chrysalan speaking, weathered with greying lilac hair in a high bun atop her head, was Tvek.

With Dritz’s gentle hand moving slowly up and down her back, Vela relaxed slightly against his touch as she listened to the overseers speaking among themselves. When the subject quickly turned to the Aurians, however, she stood up straighter and focused her attention first on Szna, then on the woman who must be Tvek. The questions asked made her instantly begin to sign, whether or not this was a good idea.

[I mean no disrespect in anything I say. I am Vela. I’m honored to be here among the Chrysalans and offered an audience with such an important counsel. I should clarify that Aurctas is likely unknown to you because my people are being exploited as cheap labor, and the existence of the Aurians is kept a secret by these dishonest traders. Aurctas is a harsh world where nothing can grow, and my people are dwindling.]

She directed her gaze straight at Tvek as she continued signing, stopping every other sentence for Dritz to translate. [Your district will not suffer for us, I think. All I ask are for ships to transport the Aurians to a new home world. Anything else would be asking too much, but I would accept more help as you might see fit. I can explain anything you like in more detail.] Here she felt the need to stop and see the reaction from the counsel, glancing toward Szna with a slightly troubled expression.

“This representative does not even speak our language,” Tvek said sharply. Thankfully, it seemed that the other counsel members did not like this statement, and one stepped forward, holding out a finger.

“And you expect every representative to speak Basic or Chrysalan? Perhaps you might wish to speak to the scientists about a time machine, Tvek, if you prefer our ancient segregation so much,” she scoffed, smoothing her long hair back over one shoulder. She turned to Vela with a gracious nod, “You are welcome here, child, do not listen to those who would see us remain in our dark corner of space without the joys of new worlds.”

Dritz translated the remaining information as Vela expressed it, speaking with his head held high, his voice clear and confident, his hands clasped behind his back. “I am Dritz, of the Criznr Quarter if you would prefer introductions, and Vela’s translator. If my opinion counts for anything, ma'am, the Aurians need help that Chrysala, as a prosperous planet, is in a position to give. This is a chance for a joining of communities.” He seemed to realise he was speaking somewhat out of turn, and stepped back. It was not usually heard of for males to even be in the counsel’s room, he needed to remember how privileged he was.

“What he says is correct; we can help. Chrysala continues to thrive and grow, but who are we if we turn our backs on the Aurians, who have asked our help. But I need a majority vote.”

Over the next hour or so, Szna laid out a plan for their distribution of assistance, funds, and the time scale of the help the Aurians would need, with the overseers discussing, sometimes heatedly.

[With all respect,] Vela signed, [I do speak Basic. Or I would if I could do so aloud. The rest of my people also understand it, though perhaps less words than I do. I have been training my voice to grow accustomed to speaking but it’s a slow process. I think that someday the Aurians may be able to become vocal as well.]

She only added a little more for Dritz to translate: that she was grateful for any assistance given, that the other Aurians would be too, and that any details would be left up to the counsel entirely. After this, there was a long period of debate as Vela tried to stand still and avoid wringing her hands just slightly in worry. Tvek had seemed so much against the idea at first, and some of the others were doubtful of it. She glanced around the room more than once, though her gaze kept returning to the comforting sight of Dritz at her side. There was little she could do now unless further questions were asked of her, meaning all she could do was wait.

Tvek voiced her displeasure many times, backed up by Vri, but the other overseers seemed to be coming around to the idea the more Szna spoke. They would need to secure coordinates to Aurctas, send an ambassadorial party to discuss their plans and make diplomatic introductions, and prepare the Aurians for extraction.

Dritz stepped closer to Vela, returning his hand to the small of her back. “I know Tvek seems harsh, but I think she’s outvoted here. Good job, flower,” he whispered.

Once it seemed deliberations were over, a different overseer took the lead. She was older than even Tvek, silvery hair in a long, relaxed braid with a roughly hammered metal clasp holding it in place. She held up her hands, “My dears, I believe we have heard enough and will need to put in a vote.”

Dritz gawked, seeming to realise something. “She’s the grand overseer. I didn’t even consider that she would be here,” he muttered. “I’ve never seen her before…”

“You all know that I will make my final decision once you have voted, so please; complete Szna’s plan for the assistance of Aurctas?” she asked, looking around the room. Szna, unable to vote on her own cause, watched with her mouth in a tight line as Tvek and Vri remained still, though the other overseers held up hands in agreement. “And you are opposed?” the grand overseer asked the other women, who confirmed.

Szna frowned and looked to the grand overseer with an anxious air to her.

“I’ve taken everything that has been said into account, and it’s my opinion that the Aurians require the assistance of another world. We can be that world,” the grand overseer said, a small smile reserved for Vela.

Through the oftentimes tense debate, Vela continued to glance around the table at each overseer, hoping they could at least try to understand how she felt and what it must be like to have a home which wasn’t a home, even if they had never experienced similar. She was so focused on what was happening that she was almost startled when Dritz touched her again.

His whispered words brought a smile to her face. Of course she could not say anything, so she nodded slightly. Despite Tvek and Vri and their protests, everyone else seemed to think that helping the Aurians would be the right thing to do. When the one Dritz called the “grand overseer” began to speak, Vela almost felt as though she couldn’t bear waiting for the answer any longer. She didn’t know the significance of this Chrysalan, but the ultimate decision seemed to lay with her.

It wasn’t a surprise when the two who opposed the vote made this clear. But it was heartening to see the others agree, and for the grand overseer to say that Chrysala would assist the Aurians… Vela almost wished she could sit down from the sudden weakness of her relief.

[Thank you. It isn’t enough to show my gratitude, but that’s all I can say for now. I deeply appreciate what you will do for my people, and they will too.] She had signed while looking at most of the overseers, but looked to Tvek and Vri next. [You will not find reason to regret this was done, I assure you. The Aurians will be prosperous again one day and I feel you will find them a worthy ally.] Finally she turned her gaze to Szna. [And thank you for agreeing to bring this to your counsel. I think we will never forget you for that.] She wanted to add a thank you to Dritz, but only directed her smile back at him again, knowing she could do that better later.

Szna beamed at the news of the voting, and there was a rapid series of events for Vela, with the overseers who voted in favour wishing to speak to her, congratulate her, and Szna hoping to speak to her about other matters, while Tvek seemed to be contemplating the results of the vote.

After a moment, Dritz stepped in and put an arm around Vela, seeing the situation could become overwhelming for her very quickly.

“Overseers, thank you for your time. Perhaps we could speak another time, as our Aurian ambassador is needed elsewhere,” he said graciously. He turned to Szna, “Thank you, ma'am, we will be in touch to further discuss our actions in relation to Aurctas.”

Soon, he had led her out of the building and to somewhere quiet and peaceful.

“How are you feeling, flower?” he asked softly, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead, “I’m so, so, so proud of you. Wow. I can’t even believe how well that went!”

With nearly everyone trying to talk at once, most of them directly to her, Vela had started to feel a little overwhelmed. Fortunately Dritz was there to handle the situation, speaking to everyone easily and guiding her away from the noise to somewhere more quiet. As much as she wanted to continue to converse with the overseers, she also needed some time to process what was a very emotional situation for her.

She felt herself leaning most of her weight on Dritz when he held her, just allowing his warmth to seep through to her own body in the way that was so comforting. [I feel alright,] she answered once she had collected herself somewhat again. [But I feel… overwhelmed. I wanted them to agree to help, but there was a part of me that doubted they would. And now I admit that I’m not sure what to do.] She smiled weakly before moving forward to rest her face near Dritz’s shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling herself gradually relax further.

After a few moments of the two of them standing quietly, Dritz stroking Vela’s hair and chatting in that idle, unimportant way about what he could see while she was squished against him, Szna rounded the corner, in the process of untying her hair from the bun she held it in, letting it fall before shaking it out and sighing.

“Hello, dears,” she said weakly, “How are we doing? I just wanted to come out and speak to you about what we need to do next,” she said. She touched Vela’s shoulder gently, “I think you did very well. You spoke clearly about what the needs of your people were, and you have done them a service. I believe with the right guidance from you, we can take the majority of the work from you now. You’ve set this in motion, and I would like you to allow Chrysala and Aurctas to continue your work. Do you think that will be possible? Is there anything more we will need to consider before we set this in place?”

Vela began to turn as she heard the footsteps coming from behind them and around the corner. She was not sure what she had been expecting, but was relieved to see Szna again. She had wanted to thank the Chrysalan woman further for her help in making everything much more of a potential reality.

[I think we are well. Mostly relieved and somehow exhausted, speaking for myself,] she signed for Dritz to translate, though she smiled at Szna. [Thank you. I only did the best I could, and if it had not been for the two of you, I might not be where I am today. I really can’t thank you enough.]

It took some contemplation before she realized what she needed to say. [I think it’s possible. The only problem is that I have not convinced any of the rest of my people that it’s in their best interest to leave. So I thought that with the promise of a world for them, and a means of getting there, they would see it could be done and agree. Trelos was not fully decided on whether we might join them, so we will need to wait and see if they send word. After that happens, maybe we could send a small group of Chrysalans along to Aurctas to help persuade them? I know Dritz would have to come along as interpreter, but would we need anyone else?] In all honesty, she was uncertain exactly how many or even who might most impress the other Aurians enough to make them see that their lives could be different, in a good way.

Szna listened thoughtfully, her eyes bright as her smile turned into an impressed smirk. “You truly have considered every avenue. It’s my hope that your people will see the effort you have put into their future. As for Chrysalans going with you to Auctas, I believe that is up to you. I am happy to accompany you as another ambassador for my people, and we could perhaps bring the grand overseer; I believe she may also be a good representative for the whole.”

“Once we’ve heard from Trelos, we could set off from Hesperus Alpha together, depending on how many of us there are in the… I guess it’s like a first contact mission, almost? But not?” Dritz rambled.

Szna bit back a grin and glanced at Vela, teasingly saying, “And this is your translator. Are you certain he’s doing it correctly?”

Vela nodded, promising to give the situation more thought later and decide who she would like to accompany them to Aurctas.

[That’s a good idea. Another small ship may be needed to get us there since the Nova can’t carry too many comfortably.] She could sense that Szna was teasing about Dritz even without seeing the Chrysalan woman’s expression. [He is. And he… usually gets it right.] Now she was teasing too, she realized, as she turned a small but playful smile toward her lover. [I think I would trust no one else to interpret for me now, truthfully.]

[But I have a question from earlier, if you don’t mind my asking,] she continued to Szna after a time. [It seems to me as though you have a deeper reasoning for wanting to help me and my people? I know you are a good person, but something about the way you spoke… I might have imagined it. You don’t have to answer.] Vela felt her phrasing had been awkward as she listened to Dritz translate, and she hoped Szna wouldn’t be offended somehow.

Szna chuckled, glancing down at the ground with a smile when Dritz protested, insisting it was not often he got his translations wrong now, at least.

The overseer took Vela’s question and considered it very carefully, nodding.

“Well. If I am being honest, I am in a relationship with a human woman myself. We are each others’ primary partners; she is seeing another human, and I have two other Chrysalan lovers, but… she is special. I have to confess to your story being significant to me personally. The thought of my partner being in the same position as your people…” she said quietly. “This is more personal information than I should share as an overseer, but I want more Chrysalans to be open to alien relations in every sense, and I suppose I have personal stake in that… I hope you don’t see it as selfish.”

Rather than being surprised, Vela only had a sense that her suspicions were right all along. [I think that’s wonderful,] she signed, her gestures slower to indicate a quieter and more reflective tone. [It’s not selfish at all, because your personal stake will allow you to help many others who wish to be free with the partners of their choosing. And we will all be grateful for that.]

With a few more details worked out, Dritz and Vela were soon on the way back to their lodging, the Aurian slipping her pale fingers loosely through the Chrysalan’s beautifully colored ones for a little while as they walked. [Did that surprise you?] she asked eventually, releasing his hand. [Your overseer is a wonderful person in addition to leader. And I’m glad you were willing to choose me as a partner when I am so different. I guess in a way, I’m surprised and proud I was able to choose you, too.]

The sensation of Vela’s slender fingers slipping between his own brought Dritz out of a reverie he hadn’t realised he was even in. Overseers were just citizens the same as any other Chrysalan, but they were mostly very private people, and for his own to have told them such a personal thing… And for it to be so close to their own situation, it was a strange thing to come to light.

“I am a bit surprised, yeah. See, I guess it’s one of those cultural things. I know the overseers are no different, but it’s so hard to separate them from their work. I couldn’t even imagine Szna having partners. Not through her being unattractive, or anything of the sort, of course. It’s weird though, learning that made me feel like it’s getting better. It’s not so ‘weird’ as people think, maybe we can begin to open minds in that way.”

He squeezed her hand, “I… For a while I didn’t think you would want me. Not because of anything you do, just… I had already assumed it wouldn’t be something you would want. I wouldn’t be something you would want. I’m glad I was wrong, I made the best choice.” He grinned, throwing an arm around her and holding his head high as they walked.

It sobered Vela just a little to hear Dritz had thought she might not want him. She chose to add nothing further for the time being, instead letting him hold her close while they continued to walk. There were a few curious stares from passersby, but nothing truly hostile or rude. He might very well be right that it was getting better.

When they arrived back at their room, Vela wasted little time after the door had closed behind them. [Thank you again for what we’ve accomplished today. It’s been truly incredible. And, I… I should tell you that it took me a little while to realize I was attracted to you, but when I did… of course I wanted you.] She brushed at some imaginary dust on the front of his jacket, temporarily distracted as her hand slid over his midsection. [I guess this might be sudden, but I want you now, too. I usually do.]

Vela glanced up at Dritz quickly, almost shy with this sort of admission, but was soon working at the buttons on the jacket. [I don’t want you to get your pretty clothes wrinkled, I mean,] she explained in between, though the intent in her eye made it obvious that this was not her main concern.

Their walk gave Dritz time to contemplate. Had he ever shown that side of himself to her? He knew he must have done, they were so intimate emotionally, but something about the admission that he had developed an attachment to her so quickly had made him feel especially open to her. Not vulnerable; if anything Vela made him feel stronger.

When they returned, he felt strangely emotional, in a good way, in a passionate way, closer to Vela even though he thought that impossible. Her hands on his front and the sparkle in her eyes told him all he needed before she even began signing.

He shrugged off his jacket and shirt (that Vela had so kindly loosened) letting them both hit the floor as he cupped her jaw with a feather light touch and kissed her deeply.

“To be honest, flower, wrinkles in my clothes are the very last thing on my mind right now,” he whispered against her lips.

Vela smiled against Dritz’s lips in turn as he spoke, then leaned back to regard him playfully. [If that’s the last thing on your mind, what’s the first? Maybe there are a few things.]

While awaiting the answer to this, she took the opportunity to remove her tunic and let it drop to the floor as well, moving back to Dritz to press her body against his and kiss him hungrily. The mere feeling of his skin on hers was enough to send a pleasurable shiver running along her spine. She nudged him closer to the bed, eventually getting him to lay down and kneeling next to him in order to pay special attention to his neck, kissing and using her tongue along with the softest nibbles, which he quite evidently enjoyed very much.

His breath growing short, Dritz muttered, “I think you can guess-”

He stopped talking to let his gaze drag over her body. Everything about her was incredible to him, and it was all he could do to contain himself and allow her to lead him. As they moved, he nudged his shoes off and started on his trousers, staggering in his haste and fumbling with the fastening, more focused on Vela than the task at hand. He couldn’t help a loud, appreciative sigh at the sensation of her teeth against his skin, just firm enough to allow for a contrast to her soft lips.

Dritz relished the attention for a moment before lacing their fingers together and tugging her into him, easily rolling them into an upright position and perching her on the bed’s headboard, his own lips paying special attention to her chest and stomach, before moving to her hips and thighs.

At some point along the way, Vela realized they both had removed the rest of their clothes without even thinking about it, focused as they were on each other’s bodies. It was amusing, but not something she was about to dwell on for too long in the current circumstances.

As always, it was surprising yet delightful when Dritz grabbed her and easily moved her to another position entirely. She began playing with his hair as he kissed her thighs, fingers moving just lightly around the base of his antennae. Eventually she slipped them gently down around his jaw and pulled him up to look at her, noting the desire in his gaze which no doubt matched the same in her own.

[What if I couldn’t guess?] she signed, in some strange need of continuing their previous conversation. [Show me what you’re thinking about the most.] She watched him, not really caring if there was an answer or not, but finding the situation somehow more arousing than even before.

There was something about Vela being more vocal that set extra fires in Dritz. He smirked up at her, trailing his fingers over her thighs, lighter, then harder, then feather light.

“Why don’t I tell you?” he purred, leaning up to kiss her temple, “At the moment-” he kissed her jaw, “I am thinking about the expressions you have when we’re together. When I touch you, and I find the exact spot you want to feel. The way you wiggle your fingers in my hair when…”

He trailed off, kissing his way back down her body, moving between her soft thighs.

Feeling slightly feverish at his words alone, Vela watched Dritz work his way down her body and stop in between her thighs. She drew in a sharp breath, even knowing what to expect beforehand. It wasn’t entirely accurate to say she was shocked by how good it felt, but the sensation was always so much better than she might have anticipated.

Dritz had been right, however; her expression had changed to one of utter bliss, and she was moving her fingers erratically through his hair as it was nearly impossible to keep still when feeling this way. Before too long, she had to gently push him away and lay down on the bed, resting on her side as she faced him. She had needed to feel his body against hers, seeking the extra pressure as she moved one leg over his, breath quickening again.


	32. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela visits with Dritz's family one more time before heading back to Hesperus with Dritz.

It took Dritz far longer than usual to wake up the next morning, his dreams too sweet to leave (Vela’s naked body, reclining in the hologardens, her smiling face framed by flickering, transparent daisies), and his body too beautifully exhausted to muster his strength.

His eyes finally opened and he glanced around, looking for his love. “You awake, flower?” he asked softly, knowing full well what the answer would be.

As Dritz awakened, Vela glanced over just in time to catch his soft words. She was sitting with the datapad, as usual, but this time her legs were draped over his as she rested back against the bed. Her continued study of Chrysala had been very enlightening, but she was more than ready to pay attention to Dritz when he had slept enough, which seemed longer this morning.

[Yes,] she signed, even though it was obvious she would be. [How did you sleep?] She set the datapad aside and moved her legs down to crawl near him; still undressed, she dropped down a moment to kiss him, pressing her bare chest to his tightly. [I think we were planning on visiting your home again today… weren’t we?] There had been some fleeting discussion of this the night before. Admittedly, they had both been so focused on their lovemaking that the topic hadn’t lasted long.

Dritz let out a series of soft chirps when he became aware of her snuggling closer to him. He nuzzled against her, nearly pinning her in place.

“Mmhm. We should take our time though, and see what happens. Tvie will be so excited, and I’m not… Quite ready for her energy yet this morning,” he laughed, toying with Vela’s soft hair. “I slept really well. Reeeaaally well. How about you?”

He sat up, eyeing the datapad. “Whatchya been doin’?”

With Dritz’s weight a bit heavy against her, Vela wriggled into a more comfortable position as she leaned over to kiss him before answering. [I slept well too.] A sort of knowing glance went between them, both seeming to understand it was due to each other’s actions the night before. [Alright. None of us are busy today, like you said, so we’re in no hurry. I look forward to spending time with them again.] In all honesty, she was worried over whether various members of his family would have found it in themselves to accept her more, but that was not worth fretting over for now.

[I was reading.] With Dritz’s curiosity seemingly aroused, Vela couldn’t help but show him more. She picked up the datapad and held it toward him. [You probably already know this, but your farms are very interesting. I have been looking at the designs and wondering if I could adapt them to use on Trelos someday. It’s not the biggest planet, and if the population grows much more, it could be an option for us. Do you think so?“ The image on the datapad currently showed a layout of one of the tiered farms, though she could not find anything with exact schematics.

Dritz adjusted to hold her close and be able to see the datapad properly too.

"Ah, yeah. That’s a really good idea, flower,” he said, glancing over the research she had found. He recognised the structure illustrated as being specifically one for multiple climates; those that needed less water were built higher with special misting machines; the water would then drip through to the lower floors, where there would be the more tropical plants that grew best in very hot, wet climates would be housed. “We’d need to see how Treols’ natural climate differs from Chrysala. I mean, it was pretty humid too, wasn’t it?”

He smiled softly, “It’s silly, but it makes me happy that you’re looking at these things. I dunno why.”

[It was somewhat similar to here, yes,] Vela signed, now able to compare the two planets since she had been on both. It took her a long moment to think over the fact she had been on two planets which were not Aurctas, something which truly amazed her. [I’m sure I can figure out how to make modifications based on any differences in climate.] Her confidence in this was surprising as well, but it could be her experience with modifying the Nova and all the research she had done meant she was better suited to these tasks than anyone might believe.

She returned his smile, leaning over to him and kissing his cheek lightly. [It’s not silly. I’m glad we’re sharing this together. We’re both in this situation, sharing it all and loving each other. I think it’s natural to feel happy about it because I do, too.] It was hard to resist, so she did give in to stroking his stomach just lightly as they continued to snuggle close to each other. There was so much about Dritz that she loved, and the amount only seemed to grow by the day.

Dritz sighed softly, relaxing against Vela’s soft touches. “I would love to see your modifications to the systems… It’s actually really exciting to think about… I’d never considered how Aurian and Chrysalan technologies could combine. Can you imagine what our people could make together, with the help of the Trelosians, on a new world? It’s incredible.” The Chrysalan was wide eyed, definitely more awake by that point, and eagerly thinking aloud.

“Hey, you said the ancient Aurians were like, really technologically advanced. What sort of devices did they build? What was the first thing you learned to create?” he asked, rolling onto his side to face her properly.

Dritz’s enthusiasm for the subject brought further excitement to Vela, and she nodded happily as she sat up to sign better. [I have been imagining it lately. There is so much we could achieve together, if the Chrysalans are interested in collaborating with the scientists we will have in the future, along with the Trelosians.]

His questions surprised her, making her pause a moment to think. [Most of the records were lost, though I wish it were not so. There are only hints to large and important projects. Whole cities with breathable air that could be maintained in an underwater habitat, atmosphere regulation… those are the biggest ones. They seem to have worked out a way to make weather patterns perform the way they wanted them to, which would be incredible if it worked well.] Her mind was spinning again with the ideas of her ancient people and how incredible they had been.

[Actually, I… I know it was pointless, but what I first began working on was the schematics I found for a personal underwater vehicle. So it was meant to be very small, but of course I couldn’t obtain all the parts for it through trade. I knew I would have to travel off Aurctas to find the rest, but I thought that was impossible and abandoned the project quite some time ago. After all, there is no water there to test it in.] How little she had known then about the future, and how her eventual work on the Nova would transport her into the stars, to a space station and new worlds.

Even without being a scientifically minded person, Dritz could feel Vela’s spark of enthusiasm, and it made him want to learn. She opened up endless possibilities to him just with her attitude. Who doesn’t fall in love with that person?

“You’ll make new records,” he assured her with a serious, adoring expression, reaching up to stroke the side of her face. He watched her with awe. The thought of arranging the weather itself?! “That’s unbelievable! You better not be fibbing, because I am completely blown away!”

He pouted in sympathy, “And it’s a shame about your underwater miniship. Maybe you’ll be able to build it eventually, don’t ever give up on a project! We’ll gather all the parts for you one day. Maybe I could even help, I wanna try being underwater!”

[I am being serious,] Vela replied, though it made her smile to have to say so, along with the sight of Dritz being so happy and in wonder at this information. [I believe they used it to influence plant growth and deter natural weather disasters. I’m not sure if we need to go so far as to replicate that system, but it is definitely interesting.]

Dritz was surprisingly optimistic that she would be able to make new records, which somehow gave her extra hope. She had spent many hours wishing she could do just that while on Aurctas, as her people had lost their vision and only worked to survive. Yet Vela couldn’t blame them for that entirely.

The support for her underwater ship made her smile again. [Alright, I would like that. Maybe I could modify it to fit both of us. I would need a larger oxygen tank, of course…] For a little while she rambled about details, hardly aware that her lover was watching her with such an adoring expression as she became caught up in her ideas.

[But we should get ready to go,] she suddenly signed in concern, leaning over to kiss him again. [Didn’t your family say something about a meal together? I think it must be near midday by now.]

“That’s… That’s awesome. Really. Wow, that’s so awesome,” Dritz babbled, seemingly still disbelieving the whole notion of weather control.

He was happy to watch her sign to him, her motions slightly quicker than usual, reflecting her being lost in her thoughts. He took the opportunity to sign back at her, simple confirmations that he was still listening, or agreements, encouragement, or the odd suggestion of how he could help.

“Ah, shit, yes,” he rambled, hauling himself up and dressing quickly, “Ma doesn’t like when anyone is late for meals, so you’re right, we should get a move on.”

Once the two of them were ready, Dritz took Vela’s hands and gave her a more passionate kiss before he held the door open for her, ready to lead her back to his parents’ home.

Vela returned Dritz’s kiss, pleasantly surprised by how passionate he was. A surge of emotion ran through her, a sense of just how much she loved him returning to lighten her heart further.

She held his hand for a little while as they walked and then eventually boarded a tram, enjoying the scenery and buildings they passed by. For that day she had decided to wear her favorites: the sleeveless lavender top and beautiful necklace that Dritz had given her. It wasn’t as though she wanted to show them off to his family, but wearing them was a further reminder of how much he cared for her.

[You said your mother doesn’t like anyone late for meals? Why is that?] she asked absently as they were leaving the tram. Aurians never sat down for proper meals together, instead eating whatever they had available whenever they had a free moment from their work. It had been an adjustment for Vela to eat at certain times of the day in the manner that most other species seemed to.

After taking a further few moments to gush about how lovely Vela looked, and promptly being reminded that they needed to leave and gently ushered out of the door, the two of them made their way through the district towards the trams, and then further still.

“Ah, I dunno… I think food is a really important part of family life to her? It was always a social thing; you could go out and do whatever, work long hours, go and party, but she always insisted we have at least one meal together; me, dad, her, Kli and Tvie. If someone was late, I guess she saw it as not caring so much about the rest of us? I mean, you could call ahead or message if you were caught up, and she’d keep it hot and make everyone wait for you. I think it’s nice, in its own way,” he explained. He adjusted his shirt with a bright smile, “Saying that, I think food is important to all of us!”

He threw his arm around her as they entered the same building, but they were attacked much quicker this time around, with Tvie (wearing what appeared to be something close to an Earth-style tutu, her hair tied in messy twintails) barrelling right into Vela, leaping into her arms.

“VELA IS HERE,” she yelped happily, nuzzling into the Aurian.

It took a little extra time to leave, with Dritz finding the need to compliment Vela so much, but she didn’t think they would be very late even still. His explanation about their mealtimes made sense to her in some ways, but not in others. Of course food was important, as it sustained life, but she couldn’t understand how actually sharing a meal at the same time as someone else made any sort of difference until she thought about eating with Dritz. There definitely was a sense of companionship about it in a way which she would find difficult to describe. She decided to leave aside any confusion that still remained for the moment, only nodding her nodding her agreement with a smile.

When they entered the home again, Vela was surprised by the sight of Tvie running straight toward her, wearing a strange garment the likes of which the Aurian had never seen before, but did find adorable on Tvie. The little girl must have been watching for their arrival. She automatically reached down to catch her and held her easily, though with her arms full she could not sign. Instead she gave Dritz a slightly bewildered but mostly amused look, squeezing Tvie against her gently in a hug.

Tvie beamed, clearly delighted to be held.

“Tvie,” Dritz said, his tone firm but playful, “I’m sure Vela would like to say hi, but she can’t do that with you in her arms, can she, remember?”

The little girl looked back at Dritz from her incredibly comfortable position, not moving, “I wanna hug first.” She twisted awkwardly to look up at Vela, “You smell pretty and your top is a nice colour.”

Dritz pursed his lips and grabbed Tvie under the arms, easily swinging her out of Vela’s arms, “C'mon, you. Remember the signs you learnt last time? How about showing Vela, I bet she’d like that.” He smiled at Vela as he lifted Tvie to sit on his shoulders, where she signed her name, and a rough approximation of Vela’s, a goofy grin on her face.

With Tvie removed from her arms, Vela smiled at Dritz and then up at the girl perched on his shoulders to watch her signing. [That’s very good,] she signed, waiting for Dritz to translate. [Thank you for the compliments. Your brother gave me this shirt as a present, actually. I would like to own more clothes in brighter colors, like yours.] She wasn’t sure if she wanted them so bright, but it was something to talk about with Tvie.

After a little while Vela glanced around, realizing she could smell a faint hint of something appetizing. [Are your parents busy?] she asked Tvie. [I heard we are having a meal together today.]

Dritz cheerily translated for Tvie, bouncing his shoulders and causing her to giggle.

“Mmhm, we should go and sit down or we might get in trouble,” Tvie said in an exaggerated whisper. “They made lots of food, I hope you’re hungry.”

As they made their way through to the home itself, Dritz assured both ladies that he was, in fact, always hungry, his tone almost gloating.

Inside what was the dining room, the places had been set nicely, though it was clear that they were not used to such a small group of people. The table was long and wide, already full of lots of small dishes piled with different fragranced rices, vegetables, edible flowers, some strips of marinated meat, and a large pot of tea, along with a jug of water.

The first face to appear from the kitchen was Vizn’s. He gave Vela a wide smile and, setting down the dish in his hands, stepped forward to give her a brief hug.

“Nice to see you again, you two,” he said.

Vela confessed to being hungry as well, though she had to smile at the way both Dritz and Tvie spoke. She followed them through to a room with a large table covered in small plates and bowls full of food, causing her to stop and stare in wonder for a little while. Tvie had not been exaggerating the way Vela had thought she had.

Seeing Vizn again also made her stare. She had forgotten that he was larger than Dritz, something which attracted her still, though she had to wonder why that was. The hug surprised her, but she returned it gladly, almost trying to hold on a bit longer than he did. It was definitely quite as warm and nice as she had expected.

[It is good to see you too,] she signed for Dritz to translate. [I hope you have been well. Thank you for inviting us to this meal, there is so much here already.] She glanced around the table again, realizing for the first time that there were flowers in some of the bowls. [The decorations are lovely too.]

Dritz watched Vizn with interest. It seemed his father had decided to make something more of an effort, though he wasn’t completely sure as to what had changed his mind or spurred him to accept Vela more. Either way, he didn’t care; the fact that he was trying was enough for now.

“Tvie, go and see if ma needs help, hm?” Vizn said with that same jolly grin that showed his relation to Dritz perfectly. As the little Chrysalan ran off, humming, he took one of Vela’s hands, and one of Dritz’s. “Now, listen to me. I’m old and stuck in my ways, but I see that the galaxy is changing. So I owe you an apology for the other day. You make sure you take good care of each other, and I got nothing to go complaining about, now do I?” he said firmly, almost scolding them, though he had a soft smirk teasing the corner of his lips.

“I knew you’d come around, but… I’m impressed it was so quick!” Dritz teased, squeezing Vizn’s hand. “And we do. We always take care of each other. I’d never let anything hurt Vela, and she wouldn’t let anything hurt me either.”

After a moment more, Vizn chuckled as he recalled something Dritz had translated.

“Oh, and they’re not decorations. These flowers are edible. Nisk makes them with sweet oil and bakes them crispy,” he pulled a thin purple petal out of the bowl and snapped it in half, offering it to Vela, “Wanna try?”

Throughout the exchange with Vizn, Vela kept her gaze fixed on him in awe, unaware her mouth had fallen open slightly. To have him accept her, to accept her relationship with Dritz…

[Thank you, sir,] she signed once her hand was free again. [I want to make sure Dritz is happy for the rest of his life.] Realizing this was admitting a bit much, she glanced around shyly. [He’s always defended me when I needed it, and I always take care of him as well. I’ve never known such happiness could exist before I left my planet.] Again she felt awkward, but catching the eye of her love relaxed her. [I’m so glad you are willing to accept us as partners.]

It seemed there was nothing more she could add at the moment, feeling emotionally charged from such a touching scene. Thankfully, Vizn distracted her by saying the flowers were actually edible, leaving her in awe all over again. She took the offered petal, sniffing at the sweet scent delicately before putting it in her mouth. It was crispy, but also practically melted if one waited long enough.

[It’s amazing,] she signed with enthusiasm. [I didn’t know you could eat flowers, although in the end I think I would rather look at them… But it’s delicious. Does she prepare food the most or do you both?] It was still strange to think of anyone actually preparing food for any length of time and then sitting down to eat it together, but Vela was fast growing accustomed to a tradition which she was sure the other Aurians would embrace as well.

As Dritz translated Vela’s words, his voice softer, he shared a long look with Vizn, who seemed to be listening more intensely than ever, like a silent conversation of acceptance was going on between them. After that, the larger Chrysalan seemed more content than ever before to engage Vela, watching her while Dritz translated rather than looking to his son as he would have before.

“Ah, we usually take it in turns. I’m better at making sweet treats, Nisk is better with main meals. But the rare times when there’s a lot to do, we all pitch in. Tvie’s a good little helper when she wants to be,” he laughed, gesturing for the two of them to sit down. “What about Aurian meals? Do you share like we do, or…?” He trailed off, another similarity in his speech to Dritz.

Vela listened in fascination, already picturing Vizn and Nisk cooking together from what little she knew of the process. It left her with a happy feeling, one she would like to try replicating with Dritz someday if they ever had the opportunity to do the same.

[That sounds enjoyable,] she signed with a gentle smile, sitting down as Vizn suggested. [Aurians have no set mealtimes or process of making food. Our lives are very… different to yours. With no ability to grow our own food, everything must be traded for and saved, then eaten whenever we have the spare time to actually do so. But I prefer the way the Chrysalans are able to treat food and I hope my own people will have similar rituals someday.]

It crossed her mind that they had likely not even hinted at the biggest reason behind their visit to Chrysala yet. She glanced at Dritz, thinking it would be better saved for when they were all assembled if they were to do so. [Is your other son helping as well?] she signed politely, not having a gesture for Kli’s name.

Dritz translated for Vela, seeming unintentionally sombre to Vizn, who listened politely. To hear of the Aurians not having a set mealtime, or that mealtimes would be seen as ritual (which, he supposed, was true) was odd to him. He had much to learn of Vela, and her people, but there would be time to do so. While he didn’t want to appear unwelcoming, there was still much of him that couldn’t accept all that was happening as easily as his primary seemed to. As Vela and Dritz had left last time, Nisk had voiced how happy she thought their son had seemed, how his usual cheeriness had seemed elevated. She had even spoken fondly of the alien. No, of Vela. Nisk thought the two of them a good fit, and she was the more intuitive of the two of them, so he trusted her judgement.

“Ah, Kli is probably going to join us soon,” Dritz offered without first translating her signs. “He… better hurry up, though. He’s cutting it pretty fine!”

As if he had heard, there was a slam outside and then the Chrysalan himself barged in, panting, “My tram got held up, and then I stopped to collect my datapad from the repair guy, who was totally flirting with me but he’s got really short antennae and they look so weird when he has such long hair-” Kli apparently did not seem to care if anyone was even listening, rambling away until he sat at the table, apparently only spotting Dritz and Vela then.

“Oh. Hi again!”

Vela was momentarily bewildered when Kli appeared so quickly and in such loud fashion, as if to answer the question himself. She cocked her head as she listened to him, but didn’t really understand the significance of anyone having “short” antennae or looking “weird” because of it.

[Hello. Did you… have a good day today?] she signed in a polite manner. There seemed to be nothing else she could come up with to say for the moment, which was troubling.

Dritz translated, with a sigh directed at Kli, who watched the two of them with something of a gormless expression.

“That’s really, really shallow, Kli,” Dritz added with a disapproving look, “No one can help how their antennae look, you know.”

“I know,” the lanky Chrysalan huffed, fussing with his hair before turning to Vela with more interest, “I did, thank you. How are you finding Chrysala so far? Did… Your… Thing go well? The counsel stuff, right?”

Vela watched the two brothers speak patiently, though she still did not understand much of what they were referring to. Of course she would side with Dritz no matter what, and it did seem like the correct thing to say, that no one could help how certain aspects of them looked. Aurians had very little difference from one to the other, so maybe that explained her slight confusion on the topic.

She sat straighter in her chair when Kli addressed her. [Chrysala is very lovely, I’m so glad I was able to see it for myself. I do hope to come back someday. Yes, the matter with the counsel was quite successful. Your leaders are very gracious and caring.] Although some of them had not been as much toward her, she was sure it was true in general. [Especially the overseer for your district. Have you ever met her before?] Vela hoped this was a good enough attempt at conversation, though Kli didn’t seem the type for much serious discussion.

Once he received a translation, Kli smiled. He was still in the habit of looking at Dritz while he translated, clearly not understanding the unspoken etiquette his older brother tried to establish when speaking on his lover’s behalf.

“Aw, cool, I’m glad you’re enjoying it here. I’ve never met the overseer, no, but… I’ve heard she’s nice. But they’re all very into their own districts and their own business to do with that, I’m surprised you managed to get everyone together. Not in a bad way!” he said, twiddling idly with a strand of his hair.

After a moment, Nisk and Vizn returned with Tvie, and everyone was finally seated together, with the little girl insisting on sitting next to Vela, effectively removing Dritz from his seat (though Vizn moved from where he had intended to seat himself, to allow them to remain together).

“It’s so lovely to see you again. Thank you for coming back to share a meal with us. I know you had important things to do, but it means a lot to me,” Nisk chirped, gesturing for everyone to help themselves.

Vela only nodded in response to Kli, thinking it was alright if he didn’t understand. Maybe if they explained further soon, the importance of it all would make more sense to everyone.

She was surprised that Tvie wanted to sit next to her, but still pleased the girl had taken to her so quickly. With a warm smile for Nisk, Vela spoke for Dritz to translate. [It’s good to see you too. We have reached the main goal of our trip, so there is plenty of time. Thank you for having me, I wouldn’t have missed your invitation. Everything looks so beautiful.]

Having been referring to the array of dishes spread before her across the table, Vela now found herself at a loss for where to begin. Turning to Tvie, but making sure Dritz was watching first, she signed, [It all looks delicious. What’s your favorite? I will try that first.]

Nisk seemed especially delighted to have the food complimented, but Vizn also grinned. Dritz and Kli, evidently having something of a similar appetite, were the first at the table to reach out and take food. Tvie was peering carefully at everything, humming quietly to herself until Vela signed to her.

The little Chrysalan watched her signing and listened to Dritz with a smile.

“Close your eyes!” she demanded excitedly. Once Vela has complied she turned to Dritz and “whispered” (which was more of an exaggerated stage whisper), “How do you sign this one? Uh huh… And this? How do I say it’s yummy?”

There was a long pause before Tvie tugged at Vela’s top and, once the Aurian opened her eyes, clumsily signed something that vaguely resembled, [This. It yum fruity.]

She pointed to a plate filled with stringy shreds of pastel pink. “It’s my favourite! You should eat some on top of some bread. I like it because it’s sweet. Dad says it’s too sweet though.”

Though initially confused, Vela had closed her left eye (her right could not be closed, technically) and waited while she listened to Tvie asking Dritz how to sign various words. She tried desperately not to smile and give herself away, though it was difficult.

The small Chrysalan’s signing was somewhat correct, enough to be decipherable, and Vela inspected the food pointed out to her. She had never seen such a color on anything edible before, but she found it intriguing. [You sign so well,] she told Tvie with a smile. [You must be picking up words somehow. I will try it. I don’t seem to like sweet foods too much, but I think I will like this since you do.]

Reaching for a slice of bread, she carefully spread some of the pink shreds on top of it before taking a bite. While it was very sweet, the bread balanced the flavor and made it much more appealing to Vela’s general taste. [It’s wonderful,] she told Tvie. [I can see why it’s your favorite. Thank you for showing me how to eat it.]

She glanced toward Dritz’s parents. [Are these all traditional foods from your planet? I almost want to try everything.] With this said, she also began reaching for other dishes with increased enthusiasm.

Dritz smirked as he watched Vela and Tvie interact. Vela would be a great mum, wouldn’t she?

Wait, no. That certainly wasn’t a thought to be having over a dinner with his family. He quickly looked down at his own food, lest Kli think he didn’t want it and steal it, as he was known to do.

“You like it? Yay!” Tvie helped herself to some of the same fruit. Having waited with baited breath to see Vela’s verdict, it seemed she was happy to start eating herself now, and went back to humming quietly while she ate.

“Mostly, yes,” Nisk explained, “But this-” she gestured to small chunks of white meat in a bright mustard coloured sauce speckled with chopped leaves and topped with shreds of white onions, “Is a new recipe I wanted to try. It’s apparently an Ultrian curry? But it might not be too good, since I couldn’t get the same fish. If you take some and don’t like it, don’t feel you have to finish it!” She laughed awkwardly, seeming quite embarrassed by the admission. “But otherwise, there is plenty, please eat as much as you would like. Maybe I could even put some away for you to take!”

Vela listened carefully to Nisk’s explanation, nodding. She did take some of the newer dish, proclaiming it was good and she wouldn’t know the difference between the real version, anyway. [That would be nice. Something extra would help. It’s a long trip back to Hesperus Alpha.] For a little while she maintained eye contact with Dritz, thinking the length of time didn’t really matter to either of them, but having some real food to break up the monotony of what he called “space food” would still make the situation better.

After this, she decided to eat quietly and listen to any other conversation around the table, letting Dritz have a rest from translating for her so much. Besides, he seemed hungry and almost in a sort of competition with Kli for who could eat the most. Despite not having nearly so much of an appetite, Vela focused on taking a small sample of each dish and enjoying them all greatly.

For a while, they ate in comfortable quiet, with the odd chitchat from Tvie as she asked for things to be passed to her, being the only one unable to reach everything that had been laid out. Kli told them about the day he had, Dritz told them about Hesperus Alpha (insisting Vela have a break from signing everything for a while while he did so), and Tvie showed them all a… well, something approaching a magic trick she had learnt which involved a ‘disappearing’ napkin obviously appearing on her lap.

After a little while longer, Vizn turned to Vela, having nudged his plate away from him.

“So, what brought you away from Aurctas? And why the station?”

The meal was pleasant, and Vela had enjoyed every bit of it, along with the conversations around the table and the antics of Tvie. When they all seemed finished and Vizn turned his attention to her, however, she quickly became serious.

[It’s not a simple answer, unfortunately. I spent a long time working on one of our old ships in an effort to make it functional again. I would have left with others, but there was no one currently who wished to accompany me. The truth is, I left to seek out a new home for my people. Our world is not suitable for habitation much longer, and I had to do something. I can’t let the Aurians just… perish.] The subject was a stark contrast from the rest of the evening, and realizing this, Vela hurriedly continued to sign.

[You must understand, there are many years left. But I didn’t want to wait. I went to the station because I felt there might be someone would could help me, even though I wasn’t counting on that in specific. It also seemed like a logical stop to make sure my ship could manage such a distance. There may have been others there who could assist me… but I met Dritz first. He was a good friend to me from the very start and eager to help me with anything I needed. It was awkward trying to make him understand me at first, but we sorted it out. You should be proud of him, I think, though I have no doubt you already are.] She paused to let Vizn and the others take this information in, along with smiling fondly at Dritz. It was possible he didn’t know the full extent of how much he had helped her.

As Dritz translated, carefully controlling his evident distress over the situation, Vizn seemed to soften. He was watching between her and Dritz, his yellow eyes, paler than his son’s, seeming to hold sadness for the first time, though it didn’t show on the rest of his face.

“I am sorry for the hardships of your people,” he said softly. “And I cannot have helped you feel welcome in such an unusual place. For that I must apologise again.” Vizn shared a glance with Nisk, the two of them seeming to communicate without words, as Vela and Dritz were slowly learning.

“Dritz was always a friendly boy,” Nisk added, grinning, “Chit-chatting to strangers whenever we went out! I swear he knows more folk around here than the rest of us put together.”

After a moment, she reached over and touched Vela’s hand gently, “I hope you are able to assist your people, Vela. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.”

Vela accepted the second apology gracefully, even though she felt Vizn needn’t have done so. He could not have known what a hard life she had lived previously, and how important Dritz was to her and her mission.

She smiled, easily believing what Nisk said about her son. His friendly nature had initially drawn her in, too. [Thank you. For now, all I could ask is that you continue to support us, and perhaps speak well of our cause to anyone who might be doubtful of it in the future. We have been to the counsel and gotten their agreement to help, though it didn’t go as smoothly as we would prefer. I can understand why they might be reluctant to lend my people aid, but I’m sure the decision will not cause anyone regret.]

With an encouraging smile, she turned toward Dritz in case he had any further thoughts beyond what she had said.

“Szna was a great help, but there were some overseers who weren’t too pleased with the idea, of course. But even if Vela and I hadn’t become involved in a deeper relationship, I feel like I would have wanted to help. The idea that any race of people could…” He trailed off. Something about the thought of using the words 'die out’ made him incredibly uncomfortable. He didn’t want to acknowledge the very real danger aloud. “Anyway. Uh, yeah. It’s important to Vela, so it’s important to me.”

Tvie looked up at Vela, her wide eyes full of concern. “The Aurie-yans will be okay, right? If they’re all like you, I don’t want them to be in trouble…” she said, leaning her head against Vela’s shoulder.

Her own eye softening with emotion, Vela reached over to briefly smooth some of Tvie’s hair as the little girl’s head rested against her shoulder. [They will be alright. The Chrysalans are going to help, and use their ships to bring the Aurians to a new planet where they can grow strong again. It’s called Trelos, and it’s much like your own planet, only a little smaller. It’s very green there, and warm.]

Suddenly she thought of a question which she had never investigated yet. Still addressing Tvie to keep her engaged in the conversation, she signed, [Does it ever get cold here? Do you know what snow is?] Somehow she could not imagine them having any, and her general dislike of cold weather and snow had made her forget to learn about Chrysala’s seasons.

“That sounds nice,” Tvie mumbled. It was obvious she was still quite worried about the Aurians, her voice thicker than usual, but she seemed to brighten at the idea of them growing strong again, as Vela had suggested. “Maybe I can go and see Trelos sometime and help the Aurians make it nice.”

Once Dritz had again translated, Kli opened his mouth to answer, but Tvie glared at him, “Don’t be rude, Vela asked me.” She turned back,her face the picture of innocence after such a harsh frown at her brother, “We have rainy season, and um, the dark season…”

“Dark season is the closest we really get to winter, flower,” Dritz said cheerily. “It overlaps with rainy season by a week or so, and the humidity rises as the temperature drops, but we don’t get snow. The cold is never harsh enough at all.”

“What is snow though?” the young Chrysalan pouted.

[You could do that,] Vela signed, though she wished there was a way she could be more soothing to Tvie. [I’m sure the Aurians would welcome your help.]

She watched the interaction between the siblings with amusement. [I see, thank you. I didn’t suppose it was ever so cold here. Snow is like…] It took her some time to think of a way to phrase it so that Tvie could understand. [Well, it’s very cold. I know you have rain here, and snow comes from the sky just like rain. You could say it’s frozen rain, but it’s not the same as ice. It’s soft and white, usually in flakes that pile onto the ground, but sometimes it can be harder and painful if there is a strong wind. It’s horrible.] Vela had no concept of anyone thinking snow could be a good thing, hence her description of it as being unwanted.

After a moment she turned back to Dritz in curiosity. [Dark season? What does that mean? Does the planet not get much light then?] Her natural intrigue to learn was stronger now that she knew there was no snow.

“Snow sounds pretty,” Tvie mused, “But if Vela doesn’t like it then it must be bad.” She nodded firmly to herself, as if to confirm this was the last word on the subject of snow.

Dritz beamed, recognising the curiosity in his love and wanting to do his very best to feed it. “The days during dark season only really last five hours, so everyone ends up being more tired and feeling overworked. It used to be a real problem until we started developing sunlight bulbs to ensure everyone was still working at their best. It’s still a bit of a horrible time of year, but I definitely think it’s less so than rainy season. I feel like you never dry off!”

Fascinated, Vela nodded. [I understand. Actually there is very little daylight on Aurctas year-round. I think Aurians are used to that, though. I wonder if their motivation for change would return if they were exposed to more natural light.] It wasn’t something she had ever thought about in depth. Since leaving her home and at least experiencing an artificial light cycle on Hesperus, she had certainly noticed a change in her general mood for the better. Most days on Aurctas had been a struggle to keep herself going in more ways than one.

Finally realizing she had gotten carried away with her interest again, she addressed Dritz’s parents apologetically. [I’m sorry, I enjoy learning about anything I can and sometimes I get caught up in doing so. I wanted to know if there was anything else you’d like to ask me, if there’s any way I could further set you at ease about Dritz and myself. I wouldn’t want you to worry about him.] They would be leaving Chrysala soon, and she wanted Nisk and Vizn to know their son would be safe and loved in her company.

All of the Chrysalan family listened intently as Dritz translated, even Tvie seemed to be contemplating what was being discussed. She couldn’t imagine very little natural daylight.

“Are your eyes real sensitive, then?” she asked sweetly, almost concerned.

Dritz shook his head in response to Vela’s concern before he began to explain what it was she had said. He knew that his parents, though perhaps worried about the situation in general, would not worry about him in relation to his presence around Vela.

“Dritz is an adult, we do our very best not to worry about him or his choices,” Vizn said, leaning back in his chair and looking at Vela more seriously. “But you know we will do. All I ask is that you take care of each other.”

Dritz smiled, reaching over to take Vela’s hand and squeeze, “We already do.”

With a gentle smile, Vela shook her head. [No, my eyes are alright. We had light, just nothing advanced such as you have. Otherwise we would not have been able to work. That was the most important thing in our lives.] Saying this made her pause for a moment to think of how differently it was important to the lives of both the Aurians and the Chrysalans.

Vizn and Nisk’s confidence in their son and what he chose to do brought some relief to Vela’s worry. [He’s right, we do,] she signed with a loving glance at Dritz once he had released her hand. [We will all see you together again very soon, I’m sure. Next we are heading back to the station and working as we wait for our trip to Aurctas.] The thought of this worried her more than any other journey they had made together so far, but surely it would go well. It had to.

[Thank you again for the meal, everything was delicious,] Vela continued politely, before glancing around the table. She wasn’t sure what came next: if they were supposed to leave, or remain and speak further. All she could do for the moment was wait for someone to make a suggestion.

Tvie seemed much happier to know that Vela’s eyes were okay, but she did pout some at the thought of work, scrunching her nose up.

Nisk and Vizn seemed to share another of their knowing glances, but there was no air of secrecy or disapproval, no malice. It seemed as though they were confirming something with one another regarding Vela, warmth in their eyes. Dritz could tell they were reassessing her, seeing how wrong they had been about their relationship. It was reassuring to him to see that look, the unspoken parent link.

Reaching over and holding Vela’s hand, they lingered for a short time afterward, Tvie showing Vela a few things she had made (including giving her a flimsy fabric flower she had clumsily hand stitched and was very proud of), and chatting lightly, Dritz leading most of the conversation on Vela’s behalf, concerned his love was growing tired with so much talk.

An hour or so had passed when the Chrysalan finally stood and moved to stand behind Vela, protectively putting his hand on her back, “I think Vela and I ought to go and prepare everything for when we leave. I’ll keep in touch though, so we’ll be back again another time. Don’t worry, Tvie, I won’t keep your new best friend away long!” He stuck his tongue out at Tvie, whose antennae were flicking happily as she grinned at Vela.

“I will miss you, but you’ll send me messages, right? Maybe you could send vids to show me Aurie-yan language?” she asked, kicking her legs in time with the wavering of her antennae.

There was a certain way in which Dritz’s parents looked at each other which brought Vela a sense of peace, and a feeling that she was being accepted along with the situation. There would be no further reason to worry about how they felt, she thought. As unfamiliar as she was with the concept of parents having a greater role in their children’s lives, this visit to Chrysala had managed to teach her much about it.

Their visit after the meal was pleasant, but Vela was still glad that Dritz seemed to want to talk more for her sake. Aurians did not engage in much idle conversation, so it really was tiring to have to sign for extended periods of time. She did, however, extensively praise Tvie over her small handmade items and assured the little girl that the flower was one of the most beautiful she had seen, that she would treasure it always and might be able to send her a gift later in return.

[We will send messages,] she promised, glancing at Dritz with a smile. [And I will certainly show you more of my words. You will have to practice, and maybe someday Dritz won’t have to translate for me.] An unexpected feeling of affection came over her, and when she stood she went over to give Tvie a little hug in farewell. The rest of the family gave their own goodbyes in the manner they were comfortable with, and Dritz and Vela left the house for the walk back to the station.

For a while Vela could say nothing, simply overcome with her feelings over the trip. [Your family is wonderful,] she finally managed, still with that sense of contentment over it all. [I’m so glad they could accept me. And I… I love you.] For whatever reason, she couldn’t hold herself back from stopping right in the middle of the walkway to hug Dritz tightly, closing her eye as she clung to him with the most happiness she was sure she had felt in her life.

If Dritz could adore Vela in any deeper way, the moment she crouched to hug his little sister, he would have done. Tvie almost felt like a daughter to Dritz in a lot of ways; he had taken care of her very often when she was a baby, he’d helped her learn some basic life skills, he’d shown her how to make tea… Silly little things, but they were close because of them. Vela’s behaviour towards her was exactly what he would have wanted from a partner, and despite her age, Tvie was a great judge of character. Seeing them interact was a delight to him.

Both Nisk and Vizn chose to hug Vela, but Kli took her hands and squeezed, not wishing anything more physical.

With Tvie delighted by Vela’s promises, they were free to leave. What took Dritz by some surprise, however, was Vela’s sudden embrace. He pulled her closer, nuzzling against her neck and sighing happily, “I love you, flower. I can’t believe how lucky I am. How lucky we both are for this.”

Vela also sighed very softly, resting her head against Dritz’s. She agreed that they were both incredibly fortunate in meeting each other and in all they had accomplished so far; yet perhaps there was some element which was beyond luck as well. Whatever it was, she would not question it.

Reluctantly they had to move again, though they walked hand in hand from then on. There were several shops to visit for supplies, and Dritz had to inspect the Nova to be certain she was ready for another long trip. This was all accomplished within the day, and early the next morning, they received clearance from the dock and set their navigation course back to Hesperus Alpha.

Vela found herself watching the viewscreen for a long time as Chrysala slowly shrank into a small orb of light behind them. With the stars streaking past, she found herself contemplative of all she had done and seen, but was thinking mainly of Dritz’s family.

[I hope you won’t miss them too much,] she signed with a faint smile. [I think I might miss them a little already. I’m not sure I really have any sort of family on Aurctas… so I would like to join yours if we formally partner together in the future.] Realizing what she had said made her feel a little shy, but she remained reflective as she stared at the viewscreen, unaware of how closely Dritz was watching her in the meantime.

The remains of their planning, the restocking of the ship and the tinkering all seemed to pass by in a blur. The two of them knew which tasks needed doing and set about them in the wonderfully efficient way they did, and that they had seemed to settle into so easily, so quickly after they first met as well.

Dritz worked on The Nova with enthusiasm. The ship was solid, he was almost as in love with it as he was with Vela, since it was almost an extension of her. It rarely had anything to be concerned by, but he enjoyed giving it the once over every chance he got.

Their efficiency came into play once again when they came to leave Chrysala, doing their tasks about the cockpit with the ease of practice.

Once they were settled on course, Dritz stretched in his seat as he turned to Vela.

“I think they will miss you too, flower,” he said softly, smiling. He eyed her for a long moment, the smile becoming a slight smirk. “Oh yeah? Well, I would love that! I know Tvie would too! What did you think of everyone?”

Being asked her opinion of Dritz’s family made Vela somehow even more contemplative. She leaned back in her own chair to begin signing to him.

[Well, Tvie was very sweet. I can see why you would have enjoyed taking care of her, though she does seem to require a lot of energy to keep up with. Your brother was… well, he seemed nice for the most part. I guess we didn’t get to talk as much but I’m sure I would have enjoyed doing so.] She hoped Dritz understood and didn’t think she was being disrespectful, but she wasn’t familiar with the sort of personality Kli had and couldn’t judge it well.

[Your mother is kind and pretty. I was a little surprised at how small she is, I suppose. Your father, after he got used to the idea of us being partners… he’s very nice. He reminds me of you.]

She almost left it there, but some strange purpose kept her going. [I have never seen anyone like him… and when he hugs you, it’s so warm and soft…] The equivalent of trailing off for an Aurian, Vela let her hands drift back to her lap as she played over that last hug in her memory, her gaze fixed on the viewscreen but not seeing it. She preferred to hug Dritz, if she were honest, but there was just something incredibly appealing about Vizn…

Dritz laughed, “Aw, Tvie is a handful, definitely, but believe it or not, she can be surprisingly sweet and gentle. If you’re sad, she’ll come and hug you, ask how you are and if you want tea. She’s gunna be some sort of medic or teacher or something of the like. Eh, Kli’s just dumb. Harmless, but dumb. Not a great talker.” He listened further, chuckling at the mention of his mother’s stature. Because of his own size, he mused, they must seem like an odd family, or perhaps not appear so related as he and his dad.

Vela seemed to have… wow, a fair amount to say about Vizn. Dritz was taking it all in when something sparked in the back of his mind. The hug, her fascination with his own 'soft’, 'warm’ body. He smirked and looked at her closely.

“I’m glad you liked them. Especially dad,” he said lightly, an edge of teasing in his tone.

The information about Tvie made Vela smile softly, thinking back on the little girl with fondness. She had somehow already made her way into the Aurian’s heart. It did puzzle her, however, that Dritz referred to Kli as not being very intelligent. What did that mean, exactly? For the moment she decided not to ask, distracted again by the mention of Vizn.

[He’s nice, that’s all,] she quickly signed, almost defensively. She had noticed the smirk and recognized the slightest amount of teasing in her lover’s voice. Really, it was not as though she was attracted to his father. Was she? Wouldn’t that be… strange?

In a new attempt to distract Dritz instead, she got up from her chair and moved over to him, sitting on his lap and curling her legs up. For a while she rested against him, feeling how wonderful he was, then leaned back enough to sign. [I enjoyed their company, but I’m glad it’s only us for now. I do like it when we’re alone, especially on the Nova, surrounded by stars…] Her gaze was soft as she turned her head to kiss him. Returning to Hesperus Alpha would be welcome as well, but she had nearly forgotten all about who might be waiting there upon their return.

“I’m glad you think so,” Dritz chuckled, reeling in an exaggerated fashion at the ever so slightly sharper gestures from Vela. She seemed awfully quick to defend her statements. He couldn’t seem to tone his smirk down.

Her curling into his lap, however, very quickly pushed away any thoughts of teasing her, and he wrapped both arms around her tightly, nuzzling against her neck and breathing in deeply, enjoying her subtle scent.

“I like it this way too, flower,” he whispered, taking the chance to look out of one of the ship’s view ports at the vastness of space around them before leaning down to kiss her slowly, passionate but languid; they had all the time they needed. There was something so calming about the endless stars, even more so when accompanied by Vela’s tender kisses, her pale body against his, the soft sighs filling the air…

The journey to the station felt like victory. They were relaxed, focused on each other and the ship, talking about anything but their recent travel purposes, fully enjoying the respite.

Late afternoon, the alert flashed on the console and Dritz stretched, poking a few readings, “Coming up on Hesperus Alpha, cap'n!”


	33. A Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vela and Dritz return to a bit of a crisis for Fera.

Having been checking over a console on the other side of the cockpit, Vela immediately made her way over to Dritz when he spoke, glancing at the viewscreen before kissing the top of his head between his antennae. She rested her hands on his shoulders, lightly massaging as she kept a contemplative gaze on the sight of the station slowly approaching. It had been a long journey once more, but nothing about it seemed long. The days had been filled with engaging conversation and discussion, games, and long hours spent in simple enjoyment of each other’s bodies. There was nothing in the universe she would have traded that time for.

[I’m glad we’re here,] she finally signed to him after they had been cleared for docking with station personnel. [It’s been a wonderful trip, of course. But I’ve been looking forward to our quarters, and even if the hologardens aren’t as wonderful as Chrysala, I’ve missed it too.] It might have been the time she had spent there with Dritz which made her so fond of it, but she also loved how frequently the scenery could change there.

Suddenly she frowned, the sight of the dock interior bringing up a memory. [You don’t think… he is still here, do you?] From her slight scowl, one she never wore otherwise, it was absolutely apparent who she was referring to.

Dritz groaned in a way that seemed to be agreement, “I can’t wait for our actual room again! The Nova’s bunks are actually comfier than I’m used to, but there’s never anything quite like a real bed, especially if you’ve not been in one for a while!” Truth be told, he was also looking forward to making love in what felt like their own bed again. He smirked a little at this thought but didn’t express it further.

He stretched, his antennae flattening against his hair as if also doing so. He of course knew who Vela meant. “I dunno, flower. I can’t see that he and Ori really need to stay in the station? He’s probably got some fancy property elsewhere in the galaxy, he’s probably whisked the guy off or vice versa. I’m sure there won’t be anything to worry about.”

Unconvinced, Vela made no reply as she moved to the navigation console and began entering the sequence for landing. It would be easy enough to think that Dritz was correct and the snobby prince of Coronus had taken Orion to some amazing destination or another far away from the station. But Vela had a feeling it was not going to be nearly that easy.

Once they left the Nova safely in dock, she did feel a little better. The paperwork necessary, such as it was, didn’t take too long as they were only returning instead of new visitors. As they carried their small bags of possessions from the ship and toward their lodging, she almost even sighed in relief.

“Hey! You two! Aren’t you a genuine sight for sore eyes.”

Vela could make no sense of this expression, but turned toward the instantly recognizable voice of the human they had met what felt so long ago. Orion looked the same as before, but with a little more stubble on his face along with an extra weariness around his eyes. “It’s good to see you. Listen, I… hope you’re not upset with me for this, but I had someone I met in management keep a watch out for your arrival. I didn’t want to miss you in case you had plans to fly off somewhere else soon.”

Though she signed a brief greeting, Vela hung back a little to be sure Fera was not about to appear. Orion held his arms out, apparently expecting Dritz would want to hug him, but he only extended one hand to her and bowed over it when she accepted, which she preferred at the moment. Maybe Fera had left on his own and cut contact with Orion. Again, she thought that was too simple an outcome.

The sights of the station, the clean (ish) streets, neon signs, the bustling and busy folk, all felt strangely like a welcome. The station had become a home, one that he’d build with Vela, despite it being neither of their “real” homes.

Dritz turned at the sound of the voice with instant recognition, a wide grin already in place as he laid eyes on Orion. The human was notable in his scruffiness, but Dritz wondered if that was just because he hadn’t seen him for a while. Of course, he lunged forward without much warning, dropping his bag and scooping Orion up with ease into a big hug.

“Ori! It’s sooo good to see you!” he gushed, squeezing the man before finally putting him down gently. “How have you been? Where’s that prince of yours? How’s he been?”

Not surprised at all by the gigantic hug Dritz gave him, Orion’s eyes did widen to be lifted completely off the floor in the process. He knew he wasn’t exactly the heaviest but it was still impressive, even considering an average Chrysalan’s strength.

Dritz placed him down again with the utmost gentleness, and the human stepped back with a wide grin, running a hand through his already messy hair. “I’m pretty glad you’re so happy to see me. I’ve been alright. Just… busy. Real busy. Between work and Fera, I’ve had so little time that I really was worried I’d miss you when you got back. I’ve been eager for details of your trip.”

He paused a moment, watching Vela. She looked lovely as ever, but was currently squinting at him in a way which he thought meant she was a little suspicious. Maybe she just wanted to know where Fera was. “As for the prince himself, he’s been… well. As well as he can be, anyway. He gets pretty mad sometimes when I refuse to leave the station, though. But I still have work to do. He hasn’t left me yet at least. Right now he’s probably aboard his ship. Been spending a lot of time there lately… I think we’re doing well together. Or I hope we are. Never a dull moment with Fera around.”

That was an understatement. The prince of Coronus had many moods, but generally he tended to be either extremely flirtatious or incredibly grumpy. It took some getting used to; Orion thought he had done a good job with that.

“Hey, but I know you two want to get your stuff to your room and settle in. I’ll walk you there, and then maybe we can meet up sometime later? You’re… not leaving again real soon, right?” He fell into step beside them, fighting back further curiosity despite how difficult it was. Dritz and Vela had become two of the best friends he had ever gotten to know, surprisingly, and they had begun to mean quite a lot to him.

“Phew, yeah, I don’t imagine having a royal partner is any kind of fun,” Dritz laughed. After a beat, he added, looking somewhat panicked, “Not that I don’t think he’s fun or anything, I just mean, what with being kinda spoilt, being… I dunno, handed stuff from birth? I don’t know much about how royalty works, since Chrysala is so different. But from my understanding, it sort of elevates someone above others? He’s probably used to folk following his every whim and word. I guess you don’t do that so much!” He laughed, thinking of Fera asking something ridiculous of Orion and how the human would likely refuse in some incredibly lovely and reasonable way. He was not a pushover, but then, Dritz suspected one couldn’t sustain a relationship with Fera if one was.

“I can’t see us leaving again for a good while yet. Out business is important, but it’s also something that can wait for a while so we can enjoy actually being back!” Dritz explained, glancing at Vela to ensure he was thinking correctly.

Despite himself, Orion had to laugh at how quickly Dritz tried to cover over his first statement. Fera was definitely “fun,” but maybe not in the conventional ways some might expect. “No, you’re fine. You’re exactly right, there’s no one above him except his parents on his planet. So he always got his way and could tell anyone what to do… and that doesn’t work with me. Seems like he doesn’t mind it too much for some reason.” In fact, he suspected a structured relationship with boundaries and mutual respect might be the biggest reason the prince was interested in him. From what Orion could tell, previous lovers (when they lasted long enough) had been too willing to bow to his every wish. And strange as it sounded, Fera really just needed someone willing to tell him “no.”

“Spoiled is definitely a good word for him,” the human chuckled fondly. “Just don’t ever say that to his face. He’ll never forgive you. Or at least not for a very long time.”

He nodded enthusiastically at what Dritz told him, also looking at Vela for her confirmation. [No, we will not leave again soon. There are preparations yet to be done by others, and we will need more credits again. So we will stay here and work for some time… but not just work, of course.] It looked like her mood was softening, and Orion smiled as she reached for the Chrysalan’s hand to hold as he translated. Besides being good friends to him, Dritz and Vela were just an adorable couple who he liked to admire whenever he could.

By this time they had reached the room, and Orion gave them both another friendly grin and handshake. “It’s been so good to see you. I’ll send you a message… tomorrow maybe? I’ll help you look for work if you need to, and we’ll plan out a time to meet. I’ll also get my princely boyfriend to join us. On his best behavior, or at least I’ll try to make him be,” he added with an amused shrug.

There was something immensely reassuring, not to mention satisfying, about Orion saying Fera’s orders wouldn’t work with him. The scruffy human was, if there were any doubt, very good for the spoilt prince.

“I’d never say that to his face,” Dritz said immediately, almost sounding slightly offended. He always tried his best to be as accommodating and friendly as possible, with everyone.

As he translated for Vela (noting with fondness that Ori seemed to be listening harder, and was watching Vela more closely, clearly trying to pick up more Aurian), Dritz squeezed her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

With the promise of seeing the other two men again (as well as further hugging), the two of them were left alone once more outside of the room they rented.

“It was so nice to see him so quickly, wasn’t it?” the Chrysalan was asking as they wandered into the room, “I’m glad we’re alone now though.”

[Yes, it was nice,] Vela had to agree, shutting the door carefully behind them after they entered. Even if it had brought Fera to mind again. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again, and wished there was some way to avoid it. Yet she couldn’t leave Dritz to have to go through such an ordeal on his own.

For now, however, she was quick to forget all about princes, or anyone other than herself and Dritz. She dropped her bag on the floor and nodded at what he said, showing she felt the same by kicking off her soft boots and leaving them where they lay.

She took a long, slow moment to look at him, then smiled slightly and removed her leggings as well. This left her in the oversized dark tunic she had chosen to wear that day, as it tended to be colder in the Nova than the station in general. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, arranging her pale legs carefully to one side but not signing anything, just watching Dritz to see his reaction.

Dritz watched Vela with half lidded eyes, languidly taking his time over removing his own shoes. As her leggings slipped off, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Her slim, pale legs looked as invitingly soft as always, and his fingers itched to trail over them again.

Nevertheless, he took his time in removing his jacket, folding it over the narrow-backed chair that sat by the compact desk, before slowly tugging off his shirt and stepping towards her. Once he was stood over her, he leaned down and kissed her very gently, slowly moving to kneel on the floor in front of her.

“You comfy there?” he asked teasingly, gesturing to her bare legs, “We’ve only been here a few minutes and you’re already stripping off.” He grinned, kissing her again.

Vela followed Dritz’s actions closely, alert and attentive to all he was doing. It seemed her idea was working, and he had similarly removed his shirt before kneeling in front her. She returned his kiss, then smiled faintly as she nodded.

[I am. I have realized how much I miss being here. It’s like a sort of home, isn’t it? At least for now. I just want to be comfortable… with you.] It would be a good enough reason in any case, but it was the truth. The desire to be close to him, the way their unclothed bodies were so different yet fit together almost as though made for each other…

Having said this, Vela’s smile grew. [That’s true, but then you did the same.] Her gaze slipped down his front, and she couldn’t resist touching his chest and stomach with worshipful fingers. He was so warm, so soft… Surely she would never tire of how beautiful she thought he was. There had been no one like this for her on Aurctas.

She drew her legs apart slightly so they were touching him, her anticipation and increased pulse causing the soft down covering them to raise in a barely noticeable manner. For the moment there was little she could say, but she leaned forward to press her lips to his again in a way which left no doubt that her passion was rising as well.

“Hey, I just copied you, flower,” Dritz chuckled as he trailed his fingers further up her legs. He leaned down and kissed her thigh sweetly.

She was right, though. They had made such a nice space for themselves on the station, not through decor or things, but the life they’d started to build, the friends they were making… It was strange how comfortable it had become. As he thought about their surroundings, trying to imagine how they could make it even more like a home, he lifted her top up, sliding it up over her flat stomach, replacing the fabric with his kisses.

“I feel like we make ourselves comfortable anywhere together,” he mumbled against her skin before being pulled up and kissed in a way that told him all he wanted to know. He shifted them, moving Vela further up the bed and settling with her, kissing at her neck and shoulders.

Lazily, Vela nodded as Dritz moved her to lay more fully on the bed, joining her before covering her in more kisses. She sighed softly, sitting up long enough to just remove her top instead. Once Dritz had his trousers off too, she couldn’t resist signing with a playful smile, [But we seem the most comfortable here, I think.]

Very carefully, she pushed at his shoulder until he lay down, moving her slighter weight on top of his. She could feel all of him underneath her, which was exciting in more ways than one. It amazed her all over again to consider the day they had first met. If she could have seen herself now, the way it had all turned out… her past self never would have believed it.

Without noticing, she had begun moving in a way which was obviously pleasing to them both, keeping her legs on either side of Dritz as she went from his lips to his neck to his collarbone with soft but sensuous kisses. Most of the rest of her thoughts were quickly leaving her as she began to focus on pleasure instead, but for now this wasn’t a problem to either of them.

Dritz leaned back long enough to admire Vela’s naked form, angular and firm with the gentlest suggestion of curve. He signed slowly and carefully [I agree. And you look perfect at this moment.]

He couldn’t help the smirk that came from Vela’s more forceful hand. She was very upfront with him, even without a word, and it was a trait he very much enjoyed. As soon as her hand came to his shoulder, he knew they wouldn’t be remaining so casual and gentle for long.

By the time she had moved on top of him, however, he wasn’t really thinking about their pace any more, focusing instead on only Vela, as he knew she would be focusing on him.

Afterwards, they had collapsed with heavy breaths and loving kisses, remaining quiet for a long time, content to lounge together until Vela pointed out that they had left their bags, and should unpack. Despite some protests, they managed to untangle themselves from each other long enough to unpack before immediately resuming their embrace, falling asleep shortly after.

Early the next morning, Vela awoke to the sound of Dritz’s snoring and the feel of his warm arm wrapped around her, holding her loosely but also pressing her against his side. She had to wiggle free cautiously in hopes to not disturb him, but he must have been incredibly worn out from their arrival or, more likely, their lovemaking the night before. He barely moved, but did shift a little more onto his back and stretch his arm out, almost as though trying to find her again.

With a loving smile, Vela went to grab the datapad from where it rested on a table, returning to bed to curl up next to Dritz once more. The room was a comfortable temperature, and she delighted in the fact that she didn’t need to put on any clothes. Being naked was such a novelty to her that she almost wished she could remain so more often.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but the green light on the corner of the datapad was blinking. Instantly curious, she touched the screen and could see that Dritz had received a message. The short preview said it was from Orion, and actually addressed to her as well, so she pulled it up to begin reading.

‘Dritz and Vela -

Hey. I hope you’ve settled in alright. I hate to be really abrupt with this, but there’s a problem with Fera and I’m pretty worried. Can you guys meet me around 0900 station time near the shopping district? I’m not sure it’s safe to send a message about it. Reply to this if you can’t make it, which I’d understand. Thanks,

-Orion’

Vela set the datapad down and glanced over at Dritz’s sleeping form, frowning. A problem with Fera? What would that mean? A very small, selfish part of her wanted to delete the message and to pretend they just hadn’t received it. But if Orion needed help, she didn’t want to leave him in an uncomfortable position, no matter who he chose to associate with.

After a little while she began to read on her latest topic of choice, doing her best to forget about the message until Dritz was awake. At the very least, she wasn’t about to wake him up early for whatever this might be, especially considering there were hours left before Orion asked them to meet.

Dritz was just on the cusp of waking, unable to feel Vela near him, but soon dipped back into proper sleep for a while, finding that when he woke up a little more again, she was back where he expected her, reading as she always did while she waited for him to wake up.

“Good morning,” he mumbled into her side, squishing up against her. His voice was thick with sleep still, but he smiled against her soft skin. Her body has cooled somewhat where she was without bedding, but given that Dritz was still bundled in bedsheets, it was a pleasant sensation to be against her.

“Sleep well? What are you reading about today?” He whispered, rolling onto his side properly, running a hand over her thigh.

Vela smiled as Dritz slowly woke, gently smoothing a hand through his hair before she replied. [I did. What about you?]

She glanced down at the datapad. It had proven harder to forget about the message than she thought, but she answered his second question truthfully. [I was reading about the royal family of Coronus. I think their people are very odd and superstitious, but it’s almost heightened in their rulers of the past. Apparently they used to have barbaric customs involving ritual and sacrifice, though I couldn’t find any evidence they still practice such today.] Knowing the current prince, she entertained a dark (and probably unfair) opinion that he still might.

Sighing gently, she shook her head. [The reason I was reading about it is because we received a message from Orion. It was about Fera. I don’t really know what to make of it.] She gestured to the datapad on her lap. [You can read it now if you want, or wait until you’re ready.]

A soft chirp came from Dritz’s throat as he tilted his head into her caress, nodding, “Yeah, good. Felt good to be back here, didn’t it?”

The subject of Coronal royalty made Dritz raise his eyebrows. It wasn’t particularly a subject that he would have picked, or even one that he thought she might have picked to research, but then, he knew she was incredibly knowledge thirsty, eager to learn of everything and anything in the galaxy. Coronal royal history seemed… far too dark for his liking. Sacrifice? He couldn’t help but cringe a little. Sounded pretty gross.

He sat up with a frown, “Ori sent a message about Fera?” He took the datapad and read it over. “Wow… I think maybe we should help if we can, but if you don’t want to go, I can see what I can do alone?” He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple, “I know how you and Fera don’t get on.”

Vela leaned against Dritz, debating with herself. She had no urge to see Fera or deal with any problem he might have. At the same time, she just couldn’t leave the Chrysalan to handle it on his own without her, even if she knew she would be no help whether she came or not.

[No, I will come with you. I want to help you, if not him.] There was no use saying she was concerned for Fera, since it wasn’t true, and Dritz likely knew that. She also wanted to make sure the prince didn’t do anything strange, as usual.

[We have a couple of hours,] she continued, glancing at the small clock resting on the table by the bed. [Plenty of time to get ready and have some breakfast before we meet him. I’d rather not worry about it until then.] She gently kissed him, letting her hands wander across his body in a way that comforted them both for the moment. [But I almost wish we didn’t have to dress… it’s so nice here.] Though referring to the temperature, she also did mean that their proximity (and nakedness) was far too appealing to let go easily.

“Thank you, flower,” Dritz said. He knew Fera was very low on her list of priorities, and that she was likely going for his, and Orion’s, sake. But, as she rightly said, there was no point concerning themselves until they had to. As Vela’s hands trailed over him, he rubbed his own down her back, having to agree.

“Mmm. Maybe one day we… could?” he suggested with a grin, “We could make sure we have plenty of food here, and just spend the day in bed, not getting dressed if we don’t want to…” He knew that, for two folk such as them, it would actually be difficult to achieve. They were both such hard workers and seemingly loved being busy that they may grow restless, but that was something they could deal with when the time came.

Dritz’s suggestion made Vela pause just as she was about to get up. The idea of not being clothed for a full day was even more intriguing than it was exciting. No one on Aurctas would even be able to imagine such a thing.

[We may become… a little bored at times,] she signed truthfully, though she was quick to continue, [but not bored of each other. Maybe we could do some reading, have some small projects to work on…] The more she thought of it, the more she enjoyed the concept. It wasn’t something they would like to do frequently, but every now and then… Being able to work on small projects, but still be close to Dritz and able to enjoy intimacy whenever they liked was entirely too appealing.

[Someday we will,] she finally signed with a smile, taking Dritz’s hand and tugging him along. [But for now we need to get dressed.]

“Oh yeah, we’d have to have things to do to keep busy,” he agreed, letting himself be tugged out of bed and nudged towards his clothes. As he dressed, he made lots of light-hearted suggestions as to what they could do on their special 'naked day’, as he seemed intent on calling it. Starting the day with tea in bed, some games, breakfast, and then working on whatever project they decided on. He couldn’t seem to think of specific things for them to do that might also be productive, especially since he was tempted to suggest something decidedly unproductive, but incredibly enjoyable.

Once he was dressed, he shrugged his jacket on.

“Right, shall we see if Ori is okay?” he said, somewhat more serious than before. And Fera, he thought, but that was not going to be either of their highest priority.

There was just enough time for a quick breakfast before they met with Orion. Vela would have insisted in any case, knowing they had need of their energy, especially if they had to deal with Fera in any way. But the human’s message had not said he was bringing the prince along. She kept up her hope that they might not see him.

After their meal (and further pleasant conversation discussing their plans to spend a day without clothes), they made their way to the shopping district to find Orion. He wasn’t difficult to spot, standing near the center of the main walkway with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jumpsuit, weariness mixed with worry plainly showing on his face. Fera was nowhere in sight.

“Hey. I’m glad you came.” The scruffy man even sounded tired, and Vela thought he might not have slept the night before. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m asking for your help.” Vela shook her head and he glanced at her, almost seeming surprised she had shown up. “We’ll have to talk somewhere more private, that might be for the best. Any ideas? I can’t think too clearly at the moment.”

Vela frowned, glancing at Dritz. [We could go to the gardens?] she suggested. Usually it wasn’t too heavily populated, especially in the morning when most residents of the station would be at work.

While he and Vela had a pleasant morning, and established quite a full hypothetical day of nudity, the closer it got to the time of their meeting, the more Dritz began to fret about Orion, and to a lesser extent, Fera. Why would Orion come to them? What if it was something serious? What if this would put them in danger?

His fears were not eased away when he spotted Orion. He jogged up, putting his hands on the human’s shoulders with a concerned frown.

“Of course, we’ll go to the hologardens,” he said, nodding at Vela, “Good idea, flower. It should be nice and quiet. We’re here for you, Ori. Whatever it is, we’ll get it sorted out.”

They made their way to the gardens in near silence, Orion clearly wishing to wait to get everything off his chest at once.

The gardens were this time laid out in a spiral of colours, leading in to a large, elaborate fountain wrapped in lemon yellow vines with red blooms.

Though Orion was initially relieved to see Dritz and Vela, this quickly turned into further worry over whether getting them involved was the right thing to do. They were the best friends he knew on the station, and the ones who already knew the most about Fera. He further suspected they would be of very little interest to the Coronal homeworld, which might come in handy later. For now, he would just have to explain the situation and see if they had any interest in what was going on.

It was hard to imagine otherwise, especially with how caring Dritz seemed to be. He thought Vela was as well, she just didn’t show it as outwardly. Her suggestion of the garden surprised him, showing she was clearly considering his comfort as well. He quickly agreed and walked along with them, not saying anything but trying to gather his thoughts to present them as best he could.

He was temporarily distracted by the sight of the gardens. The bright colors were certainly eye-catching. Idly he wondered who had programmed it as he sat by the illusion of the fountain, noting how quiet and empty the area seemed. That was all for the best.

“I’m really sorry about this,” he began earnestly, leaning forward as he spoke. Dritz was very attentive, but Vela seemed to be watching how water droplets from the fountain splashed against some of the red flowers. There was something about the way she tilted her head, however, that made him realize she actually was listening. “But I wasn’t sure who else to talk to. You see, Fera…” He had to pause a moment, wetting his dry lips before continuing. “Fera is in trouble with his parents for some reason. Or at least that’s what I can gather. He’s uh… kind of incoherent at times.” Their last exchange had actually been an expensive-looking vase from the prince’s quarters being thrown at his head, though he wasn’t about to share that yet. “But, see… they’ve taken his ship away. As in, someone from Coronus came and took the Radiant Sun on orders from the king himself. So he’s still here, without a ship, and without the servants from the ship. I just can’t find out why. And I’m not expecting for you to find out, but I just… I guess I’m a little overwhelmed. I can’t do this on my own without at least telling someone.”

Orion’s shoulders sagged as he looked away, more troubled than he was sure he’d ever been in his life. Without Fera being willing to tell him what had happened, he had been left to imagine the worst: that being, of course, that their relationship had been discovered and was strongly disapproved of.

It seemed incredibly unusual for Orion; a laid back and sweet man, seemingly more likely to shrug something off than contest it, to look so fretful. Dritz watched him carefully, listening attentively, his brow furrowing just slightly in the middle.

“Don’t worry, Ori, we’re here for you,” he muttered encouragingly. He thought idly, briefly, that he should bring Vela back to see the fountain properly. His eyes widened as the story unfolded. “B-but… Why would Coronal royalty take the ship? Is he in breech of his… Lineage?” Dritz shook his head in disbelief. The only way he could justify it in his own mind, with no experience of royals or how they worked in societies, was to imagine it from the point of view of parents; Fera had done something they disapproved of and was being punished? Perhaps privileges were being revoked because of his bad attitude?

He patted Orion’s knee, shaking his head, “I can’t pretend I get what could have happened, but I want to help if I can at all. Is there any way to contact the Radiant Sun? The Coronal royal family may not accept communications from us peasants, but the ship and servants might.”

Dritz’s comfort and reassurances actually went far toward making Orion start to feel better. “I appreciate that,” he said quietly, nodding at the Chrysalan. “Thanks for listening and being willing to even try to help.”

A moment after hearing his suggestion, Orion stood and walked to stand in front of the fountain, frowning at it. He was unusually restless, which was surprising to even himself. “I wish I could figure it out easily, too. Basically all he would do was rage about how it was his parents’ fault. I’m not sure if his status as a prince is in danger. I do think he would be even more upset if that was the case. As far as contacting the ship… I don’t know. I don’t think we can. There’s very little chance we could persuade anyone to return it unless we have clearance from their royalty. Which we’ll never get on our own. Our best and probably only chance is getting Fera to tell us what’s wrong so that maybe we can also get him to fix it. I think it’s up to him, whatever it is.”

He paused, turning around quickly. With an apologetic tone, he continued, “I meant I should try to do that. I mean, I think he considers you friends…” He glanced at Vela a moment, aware it might not extend to her. “…but I don’t expect you to come along and help me unless you’re… y'know, really wanting to. And if you’re surprised to hear that, I can understand. But over the past months there have been times when he talks about you in a way that almost makes it seem as though he likes you. So maybe he does.”

He became aware he was smiling faintly. “I’m sorry again. Usually I’m not like this, but… Fera means a lot to me. I’ve seen him with his guard down. He’s capable of genuine goodness, he just won’t admit it to anyone. I just… well, I’ve developed some real feelings for him. So there’s that.” Orion wasn’t embarrassed to admit it, but he fell silent for the time being to see what Dritz (and possibly Vela) would make of any of this.

No matter how concerned he was for Orion and Fera, Dritz couldn’t help the surprise that passed over his face to learn that there was a very small chance the prince liked them. Fera seemed as though he didn’t really like anyone, even Orion sometimes. Even himself, in a manner. But then, he knew looks were deceiving, and no matter how open a person was, there was always the layer they show everyone else, and then the true self beneath. It was difficult for Dritz to say whether he liked Fera, however. He felt a slight fondness for him in general; he had helped them, and his advice when they were shopping had been quite sweet, really. He was intriguing and deserved time, and Dritz hated any bad coming to anyone.

“Well… I dunno, Ori. Will he even discuss it with you if we’re there? I’m sure we’d be good help, but that will only work if he’s, y'know, open to us helping,” he said with a slight wince and a glance at Vela. “What do you think, flower?” He chewed his lip, almost obviously hoping she would agree to go with.

Vela had been frowning during this entire discussion, her expression not changing in the slightest. There was no chance at all that she believed Fera liked her, no matter what Orion said. And even if he did (by some miracle), she had no interest in liking him in return. However, Dritz seemed incredibly concerned, and this was the only thing which caused her features to soften. He was such a caring person that it brought her a sort of peace.

[I can’t go,] she signed decisively. [Dritz might be able to help you. As soon as he sees me, he will probably accuse me of being the one behind it all.]

With a weak chuckle, Orion shook his head. “Ah, you’re right about that. I’m really sorry about Fera, sometimes he’s… impossible. But if you still want to come along with Dritz, you can stay in one of the outer rooms? He won’t need to know you’re there. That way you can still listen and help in some way if needed?”

Vela sighed, finding the human’s use of the word “impossible” to be an understatement. [I still don’t think I can help. But I’m willing to stay out of sight. I would prefer to, so I can be certain Dritz is alright. If that works for you?] She reached out to take her lover’s hand, entwining their fingers together. Even if she wanted to be nowhere near the prince of Coronus, she was far too concerned for Dritz’s safety when it was necessary.

Dritz couldn’t help the frown on his face. He knew Vela was right; she knew a lot better than he did on the matter of her and Fera, but it still frustrated him. Even if the prince of Coronus was difficult, haughty, and looked down his nose at others… How could anyone dislike Vela? Okay, okay, he was biased, but seriously.

However, upon Orion’s description of Fera as 'impossible’, Dritz spotted the slightest flicker in Vela’s gaze that made him want to laugh, were the situation not so serious. She was very good at keeping her composure, but he wondered if he spent long enough gazing at her that he could spot these things.

The suggestion was a good one. He did not wish to leave Vela in favour of the prince, harsh as that reality was. He smiled lovingly at the sensation of her fingers between his.

“'Course,” he said, “But if you feel uncomfortable or upset, you don’t have to stay, okay? You’re sweet to come with us.” He kissed her forehead firmly before turning back to Orion with a nod.

Vela agreed, already deciding she would not leave no matter what happened. She was determined to be there for Dritz when he needed her, and that would apparently mean dealing with fussy, annoying, difficult princes.

“Alright,” Orion sighed as though he felt a great relief at this decision. “Thank you both, this means a lot to me. And it goes for both of you; if you ever feel like it’s all too much, neither of you has to stay. I just hope, maybe… he’s calmed down by now. A little.”

Orion looked nowhere near convinced this might be true. Vela kept her shoulders squared and head held high as they all set out for wherever Fera’s quarters were, with the human leading the way. She would not be intimidated, even if she wouldn’t be seeing him directly.


	34. Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dritz and Orion attempt to deal with an overdramatic prince, who eventually humbles himself to make a request of Vela.

Orion felt like he was keeping a good sense of his own calmness. Dritz would be with him, and this might help settle Fera further. It was all he could tell himself as he led the way through the station toward the more expensive rooms where the prince was staying.

“This way,” he said, leading them straight to a door near the end of the section. “He’s not too upset with me yet. I still have this.” Producing a card from one pocket, he tapped it against a panel set into the door and watched it silently slide open before he entered.

Luckily Fera was nowhere in sight, in the small entranceway or the main living area just beyond. These rooms were furnished with lavish detail, though many of the decorations were actually items which Fera had brought from his planet. Including the vase which lay shattered into a couple dozen glass pieces near the door which exited the living area. At least, Orion thought it was a vase. Although… why would Coronal need vases when they didn’t have plants?

“Right, that’s still there,” he sighed, making sure neither of his companions would step on the mess accidentally. “We had a little… moment before I left. I think Fera must be in the study, since that’s where he headed. Can you believe that, the quarters in this section of the station are like little houses by themselves.” His weak attempt to joke about it wasn’t working so well, so he sighed and gestured to Vela. “You can stay in here. We’ll make sure he doesn’t come back through.”

The Aurian was already seating herself on a sleek chair covered in some form of gold embroidery, looking around her with quite obvious curiosity. Likely she would not be bored, even if she didn’t have to possibly listen to Fera screaming as well. Which he really hoped wouldn’t happen. “You ready?” he asked Dritz with an attempted smile, starting to lead him to the next door.

Despite Orion letting them know they did not have to stay, Dritz felt there was very little that would make him abandon those he decided to call friends. Even if part of him was reluctant to see a true Fera foul mood; it must be bad, given Orion’s worry.

He put his arm around Vela, though when he felt her back, it was tense. She was clearly preparing herself for whatever Fera might say or do if he saw her. Or perhaps she was just steeling herself in general. She did not seem to be so bothered by confrontation as Dritz was, but perhaps this was something new her was learning about her?

Fera’s room was predictably incredible, and far larger than any of the standard accommodation on the station, and with all the kinds of beautiful things adorning it that the prince seemed to like adorning himself with, except for the shards of something on the floor. They were pretty shards, though, whatever the thing had been. “Shame about whatever this was. You, uh, want me to clean it up? I don’t mind,” Dritz muttered, gently prodding a larger bit with his shoe, careful not to allow it to scratch the otherwise gleaming floor. Of course, Orion politely declined; it was probably the last thing on his mind at that moment.

He watched Vela with a fond smile before turning back to the human, “As I’ll ever be!” He reached out to Vela as they passed and squeezed her arm gently.

What Orion had called a “study” was a room which he actually had no other name for. It wasn’t full of books or documents, items Fera would have found boring. Instead it was an assortment of low tables and shelves holding beautifully arranged ornaments and curios. As far as Orion could tell, they were not solely from Coronus, but from all over the galaxy. Fera wouldn’t talk about any of it, for some reason, but Orion distinctly recognized a sparkling geode of the sort he had heard was found on Earth. All of the objects were pretty, but he could see that none of them had a particular use other than being nice to look at.

Thankfully, the prince hadn’t retreated to his bedroom, a place where it was likely he would be angry to be confronted. At the moment Orion entered the study with Dritz, he was curled onto a low couch with his back to the door, lovely white clothing and pink hair obviously in some disarray. This was very unusual for Fera, showing how distressed he was. Orion felt another pang of concern before he tried speaking.

“Hey, love. I brought someone to see you. It’s Dritz, he’s finally back from his trip off the station. Just the other day you mentioned whether or not we’d ever see him again. But I thought it might make you feel better to know he’s here.” The silence after this statement was deafening, and Orion felt he might need to speak again just before Fera sharply moved himself around and sat up.

“Oh, yes, Dritz will make me feel better,” the prince snapped. His face was flushed more red than pink, and the makeup he used to line his eyes was obviously smudged on one side. It broke Orion’s heart to think of his lover crying here by himself, but he had no time to contemplate it further. “And where in the seven hells do you think you’ve been, anyway? I didn’t give you permission to leave! Why does no one even think about me? I should give a damn that you’re back? How are you even going to help me now?!”

The tone of Fera’s voice had gradually risen in pitch, to the point where it was not quite the screeching from before, but getting close. Orion fought to hold back a sigh. He should have known the prince would continue being difficult. He didn’t think this was fair to Dritz, but he only shook his head and waited to see if his friend would need help replying.

Dritz, feeling incredibly surprised the situation was so bad as to reduce Fera to look anything less than statuesque, fought back any sign of the concern on his face and moved to sit down, smiling.

“Aw, I missed you too, Your Highness,” he said politely, his voice cheery enough to try and help the tension in the room, soft enough to not seem callous. “I know I’m not like, an insider on whatever is going on, but I do want to help. Whatever is the matter. Ori is worried about you, and so am I. That’s why I’m here; why we’re both here. So clearly… There is more thought for you than you might think.” He offered Fera a slight smile.

He seemed to spot the beautiful trinkets for the first time and let his eyes wander, conscious that the prince might not wish to be seen in such a way, or at least not in a way he might feel stared at.

“These are pretty,” he ventured, gesturing to a set of… He guessed hair pins or brooches? They were gleaming gold with many white stones that somehow seemed to contain every other colour, something which fascinated him.

Fera sat up straighter, glaring. He had no awareness of the state of his appearance. There was little in his mind beyond the fact that everything had gone terribly wrong.

“They took my ship,” he hissed at Dritz. “The Radiant Sun. My ship. What am I supposed to do? I’m trapped here. Trapped!” The last word had come out strangely loud, and he almost realized his over-dramatic acting… but not quite.

“I told Dritz as much. And yeah, he was really worried to hear it. So we’re both here to see if we can help you, that’s all we want,” Orion said softly, clearly trying to be soothing again. But none of his attempts worked before, and Fera had only found himself growing angry at the human.

He shifted his attention back to Dritz, ignoring Orion. “I doubt you care. I’m not sure why you’re really here. As if you know what it’s like for me!” Waving away the Chrysalan’s interest in any of the items in the room, his eyes went wide as he suddenly remembered what else this might mean.

“Wait… where is she?” There was a definite note of panic in his raised voice as he scanned the room, afraid that the Vela had somehow entered without his knowledge and was now lurking near him with some strange power to become invisible.

“I heard,” Dritz said angrily, matching Fera’s tone of indignation. “Frankly, Your Highness, it’s a damn disgrace. We, Ori and I, will do our utmost to ensure you are not trapped on the station.”

It was clear Orion’s soothing, though adorable and soft and nice and Dritz kind of hoped the human was around if he ever had a meltdown himself, was not helping Fera the way it ought to. Perhaps the Coronal royal needed someone to be as pissed as he was.

“Of course I don’t know what it’s like! Why don’t you tell-” he trailed off as he watched Fera scan the room in panic. “She’s not here, Fera. Promise. Here, tell me. Tell me what it’s like! Rant to me! Then let’s see what we can do to sort it all out.”

Fera snorted indignantly. If she wasn’t here, then where was she? But Dritz’s other words and general tone made him forget about the Vela for now.

In fact, it took him several long moments of staring at Dritz until he decided the Chrysalan was not just making fun of him. Then he jumped to his feet and began to pace angrily, his fury at his parents boiling over again. “It’s not fair! Just because they want me to go back to Coronus and take part in their ridiculous ceremonies! I won’t go!”

His fists clenched and he stopped walking, keeping his back turned on the others. “They took my ship because I won’t obey them. And I have no intention of doing so. It’s because I have a betrothed.” With these words he spun around, staring at Orion, whose mouth had fallen open slightly. “Don’t look like that,” he snapped. “If you think I’m marrying a woman so I can continue the royal bloodline, you’re out of your damned mind. I won’t do it. They can’t make me!”

Realization of what this meant dawned on him, and his knees buckled slightly before he stood up straighter again. “I… I’ll never get my ship back. That’s it. Everything is ruined.” There was a pause as his chest began to heave dramatically with his breathing. “No… I’m a prince! ” he practically screamed, the last bits of his pain and rage coming together all at once before he collapsed back onto his chair with his head in his hands.

Orion, apparently still speechless from Fera’s revelation, seemed frozen for the moment as he looked at Dritz with wide eyes.

Dritz’s eyes widened. Poor Orion. Well, poor Fera, of course; it must have been hard to have something taken away so abruptly when one was so used to having- he glanced around the room- everything. But poor Orion for suddenly finding out something incredibly upsetting in an even more upsetting way.

Of course, Dritz didn’t… No. No, he truly didn’t believe Fera would be so cold. The prince was just distressed, not thinking. He did his best to communicate this thought process to Orion without words but sadly the two of them didn’t have the same connection as he had with Vela, so it didn’t really work.

He leaned over and put a gentle hand on Fera’s arm, hesitant but as comforting as possible. “Prince Fera,” he said quietly, “Why don’t you and Ori have a minute? Even princes need hugs from their partners. I think you’d both benefit? Then I can come back and we can talk about what to do to help you get your ship.”

He eyed Orion, hoping this was an acceptable plan.

Vela had been quite entranced by a painting she found on one of the walls; she was unfamiliar with most forms of art in general, though she understood the basic concept. This painting in particular she found not to her taste, even without knowing the intention behind it. There were many strange shapes overlapping each other, and the colors were all variations of red or orange or yellow. She had stared intently, trying to make some sense of it, when she heard… Fera screaming? That was all it could be.

Shortly thereafter she had given up on the painting, but then Dritz entered the room alone. Vela turned to stare at him in surprise, then walked quickly over to embrace him.

[What happened?] she asked, only pulling back to sign. [Is Orion alright in there? I heard… something.] She did know what it was, but wasn’t the most curious when it came to the prince, so she didn’t ask for more information.

Dritz found himself naturally falling into Vela’s embrace, and gladly so. The situation was not stressful for him, as such, but he was almost hyper aware of the tension between the two of them, and he was just worried.

He kissed the top of her head with a smile and a shrug, whispering, “He’s having a hard time with something. Seems like the Coronal royals aren’t pleased with him? So, from what I can tell, the Radiant Sun has been taken back to Coronus. Oh, and get this-” He lowered his voice even more, “He’s supposed to be coupled with someone there?! I dunno why, but it seems to be a problem.” He shrugged, pulled an exaggerated expression of confusion. Despite his desire to the contrary, Dritz had been brought up with the idea that coupling with multiple partners was normal, acceptable, encouraged. Why Fera couldn’t just… have both? was beyond him. Maybe Coronus frowned on that sort of thing? He only wanted the one partner, after all, and he did know that other planets were different. He just sort of assumed royals had the most partners.

“So… I left them to work out what’s going on, and talk and stuff. Though, who knows if Fera will talk and not just scream.”

The silence in the room after Dritz left was nearly startling. Fera was actually not screaming… but he wasn’t talking, either. Instead he stared at Orion with an expression that was difficult to read, his body totally still, but his eyes flickering slightly as he seemed to search the human’s face. What was he looking for?

“Listen, Fera…” Orion began quietly, when it became obvious he wouldn’t be speaking first. “I’m still sorry about what’s happened. And I’m sorry you had your ship taken away from you. I just… Well, I didn’t know you were promised to someone. I think Dritz was confused too, Chrysalans aren’t largely monogamous the way humans or Coronal are.” His tone was purposely light, trying to make it sound like all of this wasn’t a big deal, even though he’d felt his heart sink to know that Fera was betrothed to someone else already.

“Stop.” The word was spoken sharply, and not what Orion had expected to hear from Fera first. “Why aren’t you angry?”

“Why aren’t I angry?” Orion repeated with a sudden sigh. He walked to one of the gilt chairs and sat down, feeling like this legs needed a rest. “Well, because. Maybe deep down I knew you probably had someone, it seems to be what royals do, betroth their children early on. It doesn’t mean I’m angry that you didn’t tell me, though I still wish you had. And didn’t you say you had no intention of a union with this other Coronal?”

The prince’s face could have been carved from stone. “No. I have no such intention. I have no interest in her.” After another moment, some expression finally came back to him. “I like being a prince. I have no desire to be the king of Coronus. I thought that if I avoided my betrothal long enough, it might always stay this way. But I…”

Fera had become remarkably restrained, but Orion wasn’t surprised. He was like this when he was truly upset over something, where others couldn’t see. “What?” he asked softly, standing again and approaching Fera. “You know it won’t work like that? Is that it?”

Some of the anger and pain flashed across the prince’s face again for a brief moment before Orion stepped forward and caught the other man in an embrace. Then it was as if the fight went out of him, and he relaxed into his lover’s arms.

Orion stroked his hair and made the slightest rocking motion as he held Fera. “There, there,” he murmured, knowing it meant nothing to the Coronal, but it was something his human parents had done for Orion when he was upset and it had always stuck with him. “We’ll figure something out. Maybe we can find a way to get your ship back if we talk it out with Dritz. You want to try?”

A small shiver passed through Fera. “I suppose so. But not with the Vela.”

“We told you she isn’t here,” Orion replied carefully. “But if we do come up with a plan, she might have to be there. Depends how much you want your ship back.”

Fera snorted slightly in disgust, though he backed away then and returned to his chair, looking grimly resolute. Orion smiled and went to the door, making certain to close it behind him before approaching Dritz and Vela.

“Hey. He’s calm now. You want to come back in, Dritz? We can talk about what could possibly be done. Although, I have to say I’m not sure there is anything.” His smile was a bit more sad then as he made sure Vela was doing alright and moved back toward the study with Dritz.

Once he was certain Vela was okay with him once again attending to the prince, Dritz kissed her on the forehead and followed Orion back into the room.

It seemed Fera was too riled up, too angry and tense, to have a seat. Dritz touched his arm and smiled, “I hope you’re feeling a bit better now. I know you won’t be at one hundred percent, but maybe a good start before we discuss. Then we can get to the one hundred percent later!”

He plopped down on the floor, his boots making the slightest little squeaking as he did so.

“So, your parents… Is them taking the ‘Sun away a punishment for defying their partnering?” he asked. With a soft, wide-eyed expression, he added, “Sorry, I just… Don’t know.”

When Orion returned with Dritz, Fera shrugged off the Chrysalan’s concerns, already returning to a slightly more haughty exterior. He did, however, give a disapproving scowl as Dritz sat on the floor, making no other comment on it regardless.

“No. It’s not for defying the union. I haven’t actually done that. It’s simply because they are angry that I refuse to return to Coronus.” Fists and jaw clenched, he paced the room briefly before continuing. “There is a ceremony I must attend concerning this union, a sort of bonding that would take place between us. And I want nothing to do with it.”

He circled around again, returning to glare at Dritz. “They would not take me directly, or force me to return. But they think that taking the Radiant Sun from me will trap me where I am, force me to give in to what they want.” With a long pause, he glanced at Orion, who was remaining quiet for now. “They might win,” he muttered. “I am trapped here.”

Swiveling his attention back to Dritz abruptly, the prince snapped, “How simple it must be to choose whoever you like to partner with!”

“It’s… not as simple as it looks. Chrysalan families are still not usually very open to alien partners, regardless of their biology,” Dritz muttered sheepishly. “But I am lucky that my culture’s standpoint on relationships is one of passion. Even if alien coupling is frowned upon, it’s a small flaw in a very open society.” He shrugged, looking sad, “I’m really sorry it’s not the same for you. I’ve never seen trouble in two individuals being partnered so long as they’re of age and it’s what they want. Everyone’s rules around it seem stupid.”

He watched Fera and Orion sadly for a moment before adding a hopeful, “Could your family not… accept Ori as your partner at all?”

The reaction he received caused Dritz to flinch in surprise. “Okay, okay, maybe that wasn’t the course of action to take. Can you… rent or buy another ship?”

Once again Fera shrugged off Dritz’s concerns, even regarding his own people and their lack of openness to alien partners. “Of course it’s not the same for me. And it’s ridiculous. Being royalty means I cannot choose whoever I like. I must have the best match, the most closely suited, the one with the greatest likelihood of producing… offspring.” He said the last word with the kind of disdain most people would reserve for something truly vile. “So to answer your question: no. Orion would not be accepted as my partner.”

He felt another flash of irritation then, a sense of unfairness regarding the whole situation. Being reminded of his ship just made it worse. “No! If I purchase another ship, it will likely also be taken from me. Besides, how can I find anything as worthy as the Radiant Sun? Renting a ship is out of the question. Word would spread that I was using it and I can’t be seen that way. It is beneath me. There is nothing of suitable quality, anyway.” His voice had risen into a whine by this point. “I have business left to conduct! And until it is concluded I have need of a ship! What am I supposed to do!”

Orion seemed to be thinking, measuring up the situation on his own and finally sighing. “There’s the Nova,” he said quietly, addressing Dritz instead. “But I dunno how open Vela would be to letting Fera and I use her ship.”

Fera silently fumed, barely holding himself back from instantly refusing an offer even if it was made. There was no chance, in this life or the next, that he would use the Vela’s ship.

Dritz had almost forgotten, to his horror, poor Orion’s presence there. He’d been so absorbed in the swirling tornado of Fera’s emotions, fascinated by the behaviour, that he’d sort of even forgotten where they were. He didn’t know of anyone who behaved like Fera.

Except, sometimes, at a push, and never to such extreme, Kli. Though he was not really bright enough to get het up about anything apart from his hair.

“Well… Maybe we could… Ask her? It’s not a terrible idea. The Nova’s an amazing ship; reliable and steady. Surprisingly quick too. We could help conduct your business, if Vela agrees to it. I don’t want to volunteer her ship without her say so.” He wished he still had Papilio at this stage…

“I don’t care how wonderful the ship is,” Fera said through gritted teeth. “I would rather not.”

“Fera.” Orion had stood and walked over to him, effectively blocking his pacing and putting both hands on his arms to stop him further. “Listen. You won’t go back to Coronus, so unless you know of another way, you can’t get the Radiant Sun back. And you’re not willing to rent a ship and have people find out you need to do so. So your only bet right now is that Vela would be so remarkably kind as to let you use the Nova. Considering how you really don’t deserve it and all.”

As usual, Orion’s calming tone and words had begun to soothe the prince. At least until the statement at the end. “And what does that mean?” he hissed in annoyance.

“Well, y'know. You haven’t exactly been the nicest to her, so you’ll be lucky if she agrees. And before you even think about it, no, one of us won’t ask her. You have to ask her. You’re the one who needs to use her ship.”

Fera could feel himself growing warmer with his anger by the second. Of course it would turn out this way! His gaze slid sideways to Dritz, hating the fact that the Chrysalan was watching this discussion. It was highly embarrassing. But there truly was no other option at the moment.

“Fine,” he spat dramatically. He turned to Dritz and shrugged to show he really couldn’t care less. “Where is she, then? I want to get this over with, I am due in a nearby system tomorrow and I really can’t afford this delay.” Maybe if he put it out of his mind, he would not be so bothered by the Vela. Maybe.

Dritz didn’t realize he’d audibly gasped, just a little bit, until he heard the silence after it. He couldn’t believe Orion would be so… direct. His tone was sweet but his words stung with utter truth. Fera was unkind to his flower, and he didn’t deserve her help, but no one had said it up until that point.

The gigantic grin that had spread across his face very rapidly disappeared when he was faced with the prince’s icy gaze on him.

“She’s not far, I’ll go and get her,” he said quickly, his now positively adoring gaze darting to Orion as he left the study.

Leaving the two men behind, he closed the door, sweeping Vela into one arm and muttering, “We’ll have to go and wait for a second, then pretend to return, 'kay?”

Vela, having been studying a strangely-shaped object made out of some sort of golden material atop a small table, was completely surprised when Dritz came back into the room and put an arm around her. The talk in the study beyond had quieted to the point where she could not hear it, for the most part, save for when Fera was particularly loud. Losing interest because of this, she had started wandering about and picking up items at random; she didn’t know if it was allowed, but didn’t care.

She let Dritz lead her back out completely, stopping once they were outside the door to frown at him in concern. [Why? What’s going on? And what reason would I have to go in there and see him?] That was precisely what she had hoped to avoid, but her curiosity at this point was too strong to deny.

Once they were out into the street again, Dritz shook his head. “Sorry about all the weird leaving to return, but basically… Fera thinks you’re elsewhere, and given how he was, it just seemed smarter to keep up that illusion,” he explained, shrugging apologetically. He pulled Vela close, seeming to contemplate exactly what to say. Was it right to ask her on Fera’s behalf, or would it seem more natural for the request for her assistance to come directly from the prince himself? If Dritz asked, he might be able to assure her he’d be kept in line… maybe.

He explained the situation carefully, deciding to simply be honest with her about everything. She was the compassionate and reasonable one of the two of them, and he was certain that even her dislike of Fera wouldn’t stand in the way of her helping someone in need. However, he would need to ensure Fera treated her better in return. As he talked her through as much of the prince’s shrieking as he could understand, he tried to sign along with his own words.

“So… basically, I think he’s going to ask you for help. I wanted to kinda… forewarn you,” he said finally, scrunching his nose up in preparation for her response to something which, frankly, she had no obligation to do.

Vela listened closely, her full attention on Dritz, appreciative of his attempts of signing at the same time. When she had absorbed all of this information, she had to take a long moment to think for herself.

Prince Fera of Coronus actually wanted her help? The situation he was in was completely unfamiliar to her, and she didn’t want to get involved in his personal business in the slightest. However, the act of him asking her for a favor, or even just talking to her (as he usually seemed to avoid doing so), was intriguing. At the very least she wanted to see him actually somewhat desperate for her help.

[I will talk to him,] she answered noncommittally. [Thank you for telling me. I will have to decide what I want to do.] She thought she already knew, but there was a part of her that didn’t want to make it easy on Fera.

Having waited long enough, the two of them reentered the rooms and Dritz led her into the study. Orion was sitting on a low couch and looking completely relaxed, but Fera was standing stiffly near the center of the room, his eyes widening then narrowing upon seeing Vela enter. After a simple signed greeting to the human, who understood what this meant already and replied similarly, she next signed to Dritz.

[Tell him I will speak with him as long as he doesn’t insult me.] Fera was already looking alarmed at her hand gestures, and if this discussion was meant to be conducted in a businesslike way, she had no wish to waste time waiting to be treated with some respect.

The tension back in the study was thick, and seemingly radiating from just the one point. The one elegant pink and white point.

Vela was, in a way that Dritz didn’t recall having seen, gracious and businesslike, and Dritz straightened himself up accordingly. In his position as translator, he usually spoke in the third person, but as his knowledge of her signing grew, he was able to sense more tone and volume, sometimes even rhythm.

“I will speak with you on the grounds that you do not insult me,” he said on her behalf, his tone serious but reasonable and light. If Fera was as desperate as he seemed, he would need to take notice that Vela knew he insulted her a lot.

Fera had spent the time between Dritz’s departure and returning with the Vela in furiously searching his mind for any alternative to his current course of action.

There had been nothing.

Yet, when faced with the Vela now, his immediate reaction was to recoil from her, seeing the way she signed to Orion (and received a response? was she beginning to control him too?!) and the way she then addressed him, staring with that alarmingly unnatural mechanical eye. He began to feel a little squeamish just thinking about how it came to be there, and decided to focus his attention on Dritz and his translation instead.

“I… I have never insulted you,” he spluttered with less dignity than he would have liked, quickly glancing around the room to see that Orion looked rather disapproving of such an obvious lie. “In any case, considering we are conducting business here, I will be brief.”

Thinking about it further, Dritz was translating differently. Speaking as though he was the Vela herself. A shudder ran through him as he considered the possibility that she had taken direct control of the Chrysalan’s mind at this point. He would have to be brief to avoid the same sorcery happening to him.

“I need to borrow your ship,” he spat out distastefully, hating himself at the same time. Having to stoop to this level, as a prince of Coronus… Unthinkable. Or it used to be. “It is only for a few days. A week at most, I suppose. I had been in the process of business dealings in a few neighboring sectors and I no longer have access to my own ship.” This was enough explanation for him. It did not even occur to him he had not properly asked if the Vela would allow him to use the Nova.

Meanwhile, Vela was watching Fera calmly as he attempted to explain himself. He was acting strangely, even for him, but she wasn’t feeling satisfied with what he’d said so far. [I am sorry to hear that. But you speak as though you will take my ship without permission, regardless of what I say. For what reason should I allow it? Can I expect compensation for my time and travel expenses?]

Having dealt with traders while on Aurctas in the past, Vela felt herself strangely more qualified to talk to Fera in this way. So far he had said nothing too troubling, but as she waited for Dritz to translate, she had a feeling it may not last.

Dritz softened while Fera explained. He hated that the prince ever spoke to Vela in the manner he did, but he also seemed to be genuinely concerned (for his safety?) Also between himself, Vela and Orion, Fera was slightly outnumbered.

Fera seemed to be handling the dealings well enough, at least to begin with. He was speaking to her in a more reasonable manner than he ever had before, but then he didn’t even ask her about the ship.

Dritz internally experienced that feeling of needing to slap his hand onto his face, willing him to say something. But, of course, that would have been too easy.

Once Fera was finished, Dritz turned to Vela. She had her gaze firmly on Fera, calm and professional as she signed to him before Dritz translated. Once again, he spoke in the first person, though he was unable to emphasise the same things Vela did this time, wishing only to convey that no one wanted to see him struggle, it was just that he needed to learn a little politeness.

“Of course I-” Fera began to say to Dritz, before realizing he was supposed to be addressing the Vela. It was too strange to look at her, so he settled for an area just above her head. “I was going to ask. You did not let me.”

He took in a deep but sharp breath through his nose, not liking any of this, but knowing he had to try. “I… need to take your ship. What I mean is… I need to use it. Oh, hells- May I please have use of your ship? I can pay you whatever you like for time and expenses. There is no other way!”

Vela considered Fera, cocking her head to one side. He wasn’t looking at her directly, but his strange uncomfortableness with her was not something which bothered her. An idea had sprung up in her mind, one which would not leave her alone once she had thought of it.

Making certain Dritz was paying close attention, she began to sign once more. [I had been prepared to possibly say no. However, there was once a time when you helped us despite really not seeming to want to. I believe we are still in your debt from that time? As a means of repaying you, I will allow you to use my ship, with my personal services as captain and pilot, and Dritz as engineer if he agrees.]

She took a step back, waiting for the Chrysalan to translate and watching Fera’s wide-eyed gaze darting between him and Orion as if he was quite frightened of whatever she had answered without even knowing what it was.

As Dritz read Vela’s hands, he bit back a loud laugh that bubbled up from his very soul. The Aurian had a sweetly wicked streak he hadn’t previously been aware of. Or if he had, he hadn’t been aware of exactly how wicked she could be.

More than anything, of course, it was fair.

He was too amused to keep up speaking on Vela’s behalf, forgetting himself as he explained. “Vela wants to offer you use of the ship,” he said more casually, “As a trade; you helped us once when you truly did not wanna, so Vela will allow the use of the Nova, with her unparalleled piloting skills, and my very own excellent mechanical engineering skills.” He offered a silly bow at that moment, glancing at Vela.

Hell, his flower was a clever one.

For a long moment Fera stared, his mouth having fallen open in surprise. Then, naturally, he began to feel angry. How dare they-

“Wow. What a fair solution.” Fera swiveled around to glare at Orion, who had just spoken. The human was still lounging in his chair, though thankfully not with his feet on any of the tables. Not after Fera had very clearly told him that such was not permissible. “I remember the story of how you helped them. And now they can pay you back! It’s genius, really. Vela’s smart; you really should thank her.”

Seeming to barely move at all, Fera turned back to the other two. “Thank you,” he said through gritted teeth, every word forced out as though he really was being controlled. “I’m sure you’re so marvelously smart.”

The sarcasm wasn’t subtle in his voice, and he quickly brought himself to stand straighter, regaining some of his usual haughtiness. “You have three hours to prepare and supply yourselves, then we really must depart if I am to be on time. Orion, I need you to help me.”

With that, he purposefully strode out of the room with a quite unhappy expression. Orion stood up and grinned at Vela and Dritz, stretching his arms. “That went well, right? I mean… could have been worse.” He offered them an apologetic shrug, knowing they already understood how Fera could be.

Oh, it was all too much. Dritz could feel the laughter threatening to just explode from him. It was terrible, almost like he was going to burst. He could feel his lips twitching, his breath shuddering through suppressed amusement. Orion was handling Fera so expertly, so beautifully. And Vela had been so authoritative. But no, it was not a funny situation. In the slightest.

As soon as Fera left, Dritz clapped a hand over his mouth, scrunching his eyes closed.

“Oh damn, I’m sorry. I feel for him, I really do, but… You both…” he chirped a curse before snickering for a long moment. “Sorry, sorry. Ahem. It definitely went better than expected. Definitely.” He leaned over and kissed Vela on the cheek. “Very firm, cap'n. We should prepare for our escort journey…”

He smirked, threatening to start laughing once more.

Though Vela wasn’t sure why Dritz seemed so entertained, she did have a nearly smug sense of satisfaction with how the situation had proceeded. Being able to realize the only solution she thought everyone would accept made her feel calmer. There was still the matter of the actual time they would have to spend on a ship… with Fera.

[Yes, we need to sort through our supplies.] Vela smiled fondly as Dritz kissed her cheek, reaching out to touch his arm for a moment. Suddenly she thought of something else and turned to Orion. [Are you coming with us?]

After a translation, the human nodded. “Yeah, think I better. And I guess he kind of expects me to? Frankly, he’s a bit lost without his servants to do some stuff for him. You don’t have to worry about supplies for us, either, that’s what he’s wanting from me now, I think… ah… I better go before he gets mad again. We’ll meet you down at the docks in a few hours.”

Orion departed at a quick walk, further into the rooms, but Dritz and Vela made their way outside as they discussed the supplies they currently had, along with what they might need for what could potentially turn into a week-long trip. They made whatever purchases they found necessary and transferred everything to the ship to wait, with nearly an hour left before Orion and Fera would show up.


	35. All Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nova takes on its new temperamental passenger.

Vela’s concerns had actually been playing over again in Dritz’s mind while they were taking stock of their supplies and making purchases. They’d worked so hard with Trelos and Chrysala, and they deserved time to be themselves on the station, the closest they had to a home for the two of them. It felt somewhat unfair, but at the same time, he knew he’d regret it if he hadn’t helped Orion.

He signed in response, [I know, I am sorry.]

“It is a shame, and I know I like the guy enough, but to be leaving for Fera just feels especially like a kick in the shin,” he mumbled, shrugging. He stepped forward, cupping her face and resting his forehead against hers, with his antennae naturally inclining her way. “But if he gives us any trouble… I am prepared to speak to him properly. Honestly, I know it’s not the most charitable thing, but… we don’t owe him that much. I tried to help him with his ship, and I appreciate what he did, but if he’s unpleasant to you, it’s not worth it.”

Vela closed her eye, enjoying the warm feeling of Dritz’s face so close to hers. It made her feel better to know that he would speak out against the prince if necessary. It might also help to realize in advance that he would be a pain to travel with. Maybe she could just… ignore him.

[Thank you,] she eventually signed when they had moved apart again. [We will see how it goes. I might have to turn the ship around if he gets to be too much trouble. That’s within my rights, as captain.] She smiled at Dritz, trying to see the humor in it.

However, upon walking through the ship on a sort of inspection, she was struck by another thought. [What about…] She paused, looking into the bunk room. [There are two beds, but we couldn’t sleep in here at the same time. Right?] The idea did not appeal to her. Orion was one thing, but Fera… [We might have to sleep in shifts then. But what about when we want to…]

She trailed off as she stared at Dritz, her normal eye wide, thinking he must know what she meant. Considering how fond they were of being intimate with each other, now she was worried that they wouldn’t be able to do so nearly as much as they liked… if at all.

Dritz chuckled, a light chirping in the back of his throat as he thought of Vela turning the ship around and making for Hesperus Alpha at the first sign of the prince being a brat. There was something immensely amusing about that.

“Absolutely,” he grinned, “We may owe him a favour, but he can’t disrespect the captain!”

With some thorough double checks of the ship’s inventory and set up, Vela turned to him again, looking contemplative. He frowned in thought as he looked at the bunks. He did not fancy sharing with Fera either, though he wondered if the prince was more tolerable when sleeping. Would he even sleep, or would he choose to complain about the setup? Well, if he complained, he was obviously welcome to attempt to stay up…

Vela’s concern about their intimacy, though… Dritz stood for a long moment. Of course, he knew immediately what she meant. He simply didn’t know what to really do about it.

“We could…” he started before shaking his head, “Maybe… if the doors were sealed?” It didn’t seem likely, somehow.

Frowning, Vela considered this. [No, the doors aren’t technically sealable. We upgraded many components of the ship, but I never thought doors that could lock were necessary. I guess I should have, but…]

Thinking about it rationally was difficult. They didn’t need to share intimate times together during this voyage, but all the same, she knew they both enjoyed it quite a lot. Certainly too much for it to be an easy decision. [Maybe… we will have certain times we are allowed to be together alone, without interruptions except for emergencies. I think Orion would understand, and could be trusted to watch the navigation and keep the prince away from us. That way we could sleep and do… anything else we might want alone together. And then we can switch places. Anything else, even just sleeping in the same room, would be much too awkward.]

They began making their way back up to the cockpit, Vela turning toward Dritz slightly to sign. [Do you think that would work? I can’t come up with any other solution.] She moved one arm around the Chrysalan’s larger waist, squeezing gently as they walked, even now wishing she could spend some time alone with him.

Dritz nodded thoughtfully, so lost in the consideration that he was bobbing his head like he was listening to a jaunty tune. “We are all adults, here. Well, most of us, anyways. Seems like it would be the mature thing to understand that we’re all in relationships and need to get… snuggly. On occasion. Or, with us, on every occasion,” he reasoned, grinning. His antennae were flicking lazily as he thought.

“Hmm, yeah, I think that’s a great idea, flower. I think the sooner we discuss it too, the sooner it’ll be over. I mean, I’m sure it’s not just me, but I don’t fancy having a drawn out discussion of when we can each get reacquainted with our beautiful partners,” he chuckled. With Vela nestled against him, he tugged his open jacket around to envelop her. Even if it wasn’t cold, he loved having her squished against him.

“Cuz we weren’t gunna consider the idea of just… not? Right?” he asked, sounding a little worried. Vela’s expression suggested the answer he already knew, and he beamed.

Vela cuddled against Dritz’s side, smiling. Of course they wouldn’t consider anything else. Their special times together were not something that could be negotiated around or compromised on so easily.

Despite having been early in finishing their preparations, Vela and Dritz were kept waiting an additional hour for the arrival of their passengers. When they finally entered, Vela found her eyebrows raising in a combination of both disbelief and amusement.

Fera swept in first, head high and disdain on full display. He was dressed in an elaborate white gown, cut low in the front with a trim of some sort of feathery material which Vela had certainly never seen before. His hair was piled elegantly on top of his head, secured by long strands of what she thought were small white stones, unfamiliar with them as well. Even the Aurian had to admit the prince was incredibly beautiful just then.

“It is only a few hours until we reach my first contact,” he said instead of greeting them. “And I have no desire to change here first.” Vela noticed he was only carrying a small bag around one shoulder, but then Orion appeared in the Nova’s main hatch, visibly straining as he carried at least… four? five? large bags along with him. There wasn’t even time to react to this before Fera was talking again. “Now, where is my room?”

His tone was rather demanding. Vela’s gaze slid to Dritz, deciding he would have to handle this part and tell Fera he couldn’t have his own private room. In fact, Dritz might have to handle a lot to do with Fera. It was just simpler than him having to translate the words of someone the prince clearly found mistrustful.

They had been forced to wait for so long that they had managed to get two card games completed, and Dritz had spent a good while securing things that didn’t not really need to be secured. He’d double checked their storage and kitchen, spun in his chair in the cockpit for several minutes while they chatted, until he got dizzy.

Fera’s arrival certainly drew his attention, however. The prince was… Certainly choosing to look his extravagant best. Dritz’s awe was only broken by the loud struggle of the prince’s lover behind him, and he leapt up to grab a bag or two from him.

“We’ve only got the one room with two bunks, so we thought sleeping in alternative patterns would be for the best,” he explained as he hauled the bags toward the bedroom, “It’s just here. Vela and I are rested, so if you need to sleep, you can go first.”

It was bad enough this was happening at all.

Then he was informed there was no room for his personal use.

Rather than pitching a screaming fit, however, Fera only glared icy daggers at The Vela, as though it was her fault somehow. Well, it was her ship, wasn’t it? “Oh, of course,” he said loudly, addressing Dritz, who was attempting to help Orion with the bags.

Beyond that, upon reaching the room, Fera could only stare. Who lived in this sort of… poverty? It was the only word he could think of. The room contained minimal decoration and only two beds, both of which looked hard and uninviting to him. After another few moments, another thought made him recoil.

“No. Absolutely not. They…” He paused for a long moment, pointing first to Dritz and then The Vela with a shudder. “They have performed unspeakable acts here.”

“Fera, you have got to be kidding me…” he heard Orion groan in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

Dritz sighed, rolling his eyes but smiling at the same time.

“Yes. We have, because we are consenting beings in a relationship, and that is where our care for one another takes us,” he explained, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his bright trousers and shrugging. “But there are two beds. We have never even slept in the other one.”

Dritz gestured to the bed on the right hand side of the room. Really, if Fera were to pull the sheets back on both, he’d be able to-…

“In fact,” Dritz stepped up and neatly folded the sheet back on the unused bed. The mattress beneath was fairly smooth. However, when he showed them the bed he shared with Vela, there was a slight dip in one side of the mattress. Dritz’s side. With a grin that was at the same time amused and somewhat sheepish, he added, “That’s how you know we’ve not been there.”

Watching the sneer on Fera’s face during this explanation, Orion had to sigh too, but couldn’t help a large grin of his own.

“Frankly, that’s adorable,” he stated firmly, dropping the prince’s bags down near the unused bed. There may have been a small bag he had been carrying of his own, but he wasn’t sure until he spotted it again. The amount of clothing Fera owned was unreal. “And it’s not like we’re innocent. The possibility of us wanting to get intimate on this voyage was pretty high, so this plan works perfectly. I appreciate Dritz and Vela having worked it out.”

It seemed he had successfully defused this particular situation… in a sense. However, the prince then turned on him and hissed, “Don’t talk about it that way!” Determined that this conversation needed to be put behind them, Orion shrugged and turned to Dritz, ignoring his lover for now.

“Anyway, thanks again for having us. Seeing as I’m sort of a stowaway here, more or less, are there any duties I could take up for one of you? Well, I’m honestly more suited to engineering than literally anything else, so it’d have to be in that area.” He was enthusiastic to help, still ignoring Fera’s glowering in the background. Likely he wasn’t enjoying not being the center of attention.

As if Dritz couldn’t be more fond of Orion, the scruffy mechanic’s method of dealing with his lover caused him to need to fight a smile once again. How was he speaking to Fera with such ease?! There was something almost adorable about it. Dritz also had to fight being too distracted by the amount of bags. Damn, did the prince have a great deal of luggage….

Following Orion’s lead, Dritz continued to speak to him, seeing as Fera didn’t seem to want to listen in the same way. “Ah, well, I dunno how much engineering work there will be, but I’d love to share any and all responsibilities with you! But we can work that out as we go on.”

He turned to Vela with a goofy grin, gesturing to the two of them, “Seems you’ll have plenty of helping hands to ensure we get Fera to his destination safely, cap'n!” He gave her a silly salute, hoping that between himself and Orion, they would protect her from any unpleasantness that might happen between her and Fera. He wanted to believe they were wrong and he would eventually… mellow towards her, if not get along completely, but it was also better to be careful.

Orion more than enthusiastically agreed to assist in any form Dritz and Vela might see fit regarding engineering work, while Fera shrank back with a scowl. If they thought they were getting him to do any work, they were rather mistaken. He did not even notice how they had all effectively shifted the conversation away from his demands.

Meanwhile, Vela smiled softly as Dritz spoke, saluting her in a silly way that made her think of the days they were first getting to know each other. Maybe it was too soon to be feeling nostalgic, but Vela really didn’t think so.

[Thank you both for your assistance,] she signed, seeing that Orion was understanding a few of her words with some extra help from Dritz. [I expect to have a smooth voyage and you may not need to do much.] She turned to Fera, nothing but seriousness in her gaze now. [I need the coordinates for our first destination. The rest can wait for the time being, but as you have said, we had better leave in order to not be late.]

Fera, after a short amount of staring with slitted eyes while awaiting a translation, shrugged dramatically. He had been exaggerating about a need for haste, but didn’t think that was worth mentioning. “There’s a station nearby called Hadrian Gamma. It’s small, and I have no idea what the coordinates are,” he said fussily, smoothing out his dress. What did they expect from him, exactly? “Yes, hurry. The less time I have to spend on this… substandard vessel, the better.”

Vela had no other reaction to this than to turn on her heel and walk swiftly back toward the cockpit. Slightly disappointed, Fera waited for the others to go ahead of him. He thought there must be some way to rattle her composure, which he found generally unnerving.

Not wanting Fera to get huffy over Vela’s language and no longer wishing to see him glaring at the person he loved, Dritz was very quick to translate for the prince.

He hadn’t, however, anticipated Fera not having the coordinates they would need, nor had he thought Vela would turn and walk off. He scurried after her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You okay, flower? I can grab the coords for us off my datapad, if you like? Get us on our way as soon as possible?”

With her agreement, Dritz prepared the coordinates and the ship’s flight path, launching them with their same practiced rhythms.

Vela had not initially meant to walk away when Fera couldn’t tell her the coordinates. It was the additional insult to the Nova, for some reason, which had irritated her to the point of simply leaving rather than rise to such obvious bait.

She knew her ship wasn’t substandard, at least not now that it had been upgraded with Dritz’s help. The layout and general style might be outdated, but that was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a relic of her past made new, faster and more efficient than it had been when she first left her planet, and she was proud of it. To hear it insulted in such a way had simply… stung more than she might have expected.

Of course, Dritz had come after her and smoothed the situation over. She told him she was fine, agreeing with his wish to look up the coordinates for her, and soon enough they were on their way. However, she was aware of Fera continuing to stare at her on occasion, which she somehow knew without looking, likely because it seemed so hostile. Why did he have such a problem with her, anyway?

Once their course was stable, Vela was able to step away from the navigation console. Her gaze slid over Fera, sitting fussily in one of the chairs as though he would rather not be touching it, past Orion, leaning against said chair and smiling at her, and over to Dritz, who gave her an encouraging look. [Should we play a card game? Or something else to pass the time?] she asked for him to translate. There was a strange feeling to having extra passengers, and she had no idea what to do in this case.

Dritz chose to fill the awkward silences with idle chitchat, rambling about how incredible it was how often one needed to manually update a navigation console, what with space constantly shifting and expanding, and new galaxies being discovered still, and didn’t it make your head hurt, it certainly made his hurt, with his antennae twitching anxiously with every rambled word.

The silences weren’t, however, too often. Orion was good at chatting cheerfully, and between them, with Vela’s signing, there was enough communication that it should not be too awkward. It might even end up being… fun?

Dritz looked at the others with a shrug, “So, we have a little while before your first liaison, so… how about a card game? We have the table in the kitchen? I think it’s a great idea, Vela and I play so many games while we travel.”

Orion listened with amusement as Dritz rambled in an effort to keep the atmosphere friendly and not too awkward, though he then strove to keep up a pleasant banter as well. He knew Fera had no skill at this sort of thing, and he hoped it was something he could pick up largely through watching them.

Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Cards?” The prince said the word like he had never before done so in his life. “Is that a game commoners play?”

“Er… kinda,” Orion replied, shrugging. “I’m sure there have been royals who’ve played cards. And there are a lot of different styles of games. Just because you’re not familiar with it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it.”

“No,” Fera said icily. “I’d rather not.”

“Suit yourself.” Maybe once Fera saw what fun he was missing out on, he would join them. In a leisurely fashion, Orion followed Dritz and Vela through to their kitchen area, plopping himself down in one of the chairs at the table with a big smile. He knew this would be fun. “Deal me in.”

Dritz had set the water to heating up, grinning at Vela as he gestured to the box of flower tea. They’d treated themselves to a blend that neither of them had tried yet; yellow buds that unfurled into layered flowers with squat petals, apparently with a light, floral taste that perked one up.

He sat down opposite Vela, shuffling their card deck with a flourish when Orion came in. He beamed, setting ten cards out for each of them as he went over the rules, even though they all were aware. Once the water was hot, he made tea for those that wanted, and he grabbed a container of small blue pellets; the currency he and Vela liked to play for. They were chewy, sweet and slightly sour treats, and incredibly moreish.

He placed two of his cards down and grinned at the selection, at least until Vela gave a small smile and placed another down on top of one.

“Ah, damn, I was so confident with that opener…” the Chrysalan pouted.

Orion had to smile as he watched Dritz and Vela; he usually did. Resting his chin on his hand as he sat at the table, he waited while Dritz went over his cards and Vela sipped delicately at her flower tea. The human had refused the offer of a drink, not being much of one for tea in any case. Fera was probably still sitting on the navigation deck, which Orion personally thought was a bit rude, but there wasn’t much he could do about it if he wasn’t going to be friendly. Maybe he would change his mind later, out of boredom if nothing else.

The cards Dritz set down first were pretty impressive, but Vela seemed to have a strategy in mind. Orion squinted at his own cards, now wondering what to do next. There wasn’t much, so he took the slight chance that neither of them would have a hand that could counter the few he set down beside Dritz’s. As the game unfolded, however, it became clear that neither he nor the Chrysalan was going to be able to beat Vela. She just seemed to have a way of reading her cards which Orion, admittedly, might not have thought of himself.

“Wow,” he chuckled, placing the rest of his cards face-down beside him. “I’m definitely out now. So does Vela win often, or…?” he teased, watching the Aurian collect her winnings with an incredibly modest smile. She offered a few of the candies to Dritz anyway, which made him laugh a little more.

During the course of the game, Dritz occasionally clicked and chirped in frustration, pouting, but never truly became aggravated by his partner’s skills with the game.

He groaned loudly as the game closed, his usual goofy smile never faltering, slapping his cards down. “Dammit. Yeah, I swear she gets better every time. I think I won maybe… The first two games we ever played? And once when you were too tired, right?” he laughed, turning to Vela and taking one of the candies she offered. “I’ve never known anyone to pick up a game so quickly.”

He handed Orion a couple of sweets too, chuckling, “Let’s say we’re all winners. So. You know what business Fera has going on…?”

With a fond smile, Orion accepted the sweets, popping one into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. “That’s pretty amazing, especially considering you come from a culture without these forms of entertainment. I thought so before too, but you’re just incredibly smart.”

Vela was still rather modest, signing a simple thank you. She turned a loving gaze to Dritz, at least until he asked his next question, which made her frown and appear disinterested instead, picking up everyone’s cards and carefully shuffling them once more.

“Well, Fera’s business,” Orion sighed, rolling the remaining candy around in his hand slowly. “I can’t say I know everything about what he does. But what I do know is that he is remarkably involved in the trade of rare items. One-of-a-kind items and artifacts of important cultures, mostly those that have disappeared from the galaxy. I mean, you saw some of his rooms back on Hesperus. Apparently he has more than that, much more. I’m not sure why he’s so into it, but it’s something he’s passionate about. And he doesn’t conduct any shady dealings, that I know of. It’s all legitimate. He’s made such a name for himself that he’s constantly getting offers and invitations to view items he might have an interest in. I know he buys or trades, he rarely sells. Like I said, I don’t know everything, but I wish I could make him talk about it with you. His enthusiasm is so rare and nice to see.”

Just moments after Orion said this, a soft look still on his face, Fera strode into the room as though summoned. “You had better not be talking about me.” He swept through toward the table, clearly (and thankfully) not having heard their conversation, sitting down beside the human with a slight grimace of disgust. “Ugh. This ship is so… so tasteless. I might as well play whatever ridiculous game you have going on, I have nothing better to do.”

“That’s not a very pleasant way to join a game where you’re supposed to have fun,” Orion admonished, though he couldn’t help grinning. Leave it to Fera to try making everyone believe his presence was only to do everyone a favor.

Despite Vela’s obviously humble acceptance, Dritz was beaming with pride. Of course, he knew Vela was smart. Super smart. But it always made him particularly happy for others to see her as special.

The Aurian’s reaction didn’t escape his notice, however. He felt bad, his antennae arcing up in a longing to comfort her (though she probably didn’t need it), but he knew she’d understand what he was trying to do.

Fascinated by the revelation, Dritz was about to ask further questions when the prince entered. He’d need to speak to him separately, maybe. Fera had spoken to him alone once, perhaps he might again if he engaged him.

“Ah, you missed a good game. I very nearly won,” Dritz laughed before catching Vela’s eye. “Nearly. I could have.” He glanced at Orion. “Okay, so I lost terribly, but still. It’s fun. You up for another game, flower?”

He smiled hopefully at Vela, gesturing to the table as an offer to deal them back in.

The information about Fera was a little interesting, Vela had to admit. She hadn’t thought he would be so involved in something like that. But his sudden appearance lessened her enthusiasm, as usual.

She gave a very slight shrug, her gaze cast downward, but she did begin to deal the cards again. Even the idea of playing with Fera at the table gave her a bad feeling, one she could only ignore and hope would be proved wrong.

“Of course I know how to play,” the prince was saying haughtily, taking each card gingerly as though touching them made him squeamish. In actuality, it was because the Vela had touched them. It was no wonder Dritz had lost, if she was using some spell to bend the game in her favor. “Everyone plays this silly game, across the entire galaxy, or so it seems. I may not be a commoner, but I know of such a common game.”

He made every effort to be elegant and poised as he played the cards he thought would win. Wasn’t that how the game worked? Yet for some reason the others kept giving him baffled looks with every card he set down. Even so, it took at least five minutes before he realized he was losing.

“Who is cheating?”

Everyone looked rather startled at this question. The Vela, setting a card down on top of his own, froze momentarily in surprise. Fera took the opportunity to glare, pointing a finger at her, not even needing an explanation. But why use dark magic on something so trivial as a card game?!

Dritz shrugged, laughing heartily, “Hey, us commoners know all the best games.”

The game went well up until a point. Orion set his cards down, forcing Dritz to change his tactic, but when Vela revealed her hand, Dritz was able to keep his original idea to play the long term game, putting down weaker cards and keeping the others close, at least to begin with.

However, when Fera revealed, daintily putting a card down, Dritz had to pause. Was he truly playing a saint of stars after a ruler of planets? Really?! Dritz wondered if it was all a ploy, and he rolled his neck in an exaggerated acceptance of this perceived challenge. The next round went much the same, Vela seemingly having a wonderful hand yet again, while Orion was playing quite an overt round; no bluffs, but so well done that it was almost a bluff in itself.

Fera’s outburst caught them all by surprise. At first, Dritz might have been able to laugh it off, but he frowned at the very sudden accusation, “Vela’s done nothing but play the game. No one’s cheating, we wouldn’t have any cause to…?”

“She isn’t cheating?” Fera’s tone was still sharp with accusation and disbelief as he continued to glare at the Vela. The evil creature wasn’t even looking at him, instead seeming to stare at the cards for no reason. Other than to hold her spell in place?

“Fera… no, I’m really sure she’s not,” Orion spoke up, annoyingly. Wasn’t his lover supposed to be on his side? How many spells could she keep in place at once?! “No one is cheating, but for some reason you keep putting down bad cards. I don’t see a strategy in it. And I’m not criticizing you, but I thought you knew how to play this game? Because it doesn’t seem-”

“I do!” The prince exploded, indignant. “Of course I do! And I’m sorry if you can’t see how I’m trying to play it! It’s not my fault that you have… her… manipulating things the way she does!”

Vela finally leaned back, narrowing her normal eye. [If I can speak for myself, I will say I’m not cheating. If it makes you feel better, we can just say you won. But I don’t manipulate anything, even if you don’t believe me.]

She looked to Dritz to translate, not caring what Fera really thought. If he would not believe her, there was not much to be done.

Dritz had been willing to let the incident go, but having Vela looking so unhappy was effecting him a great deal. He patted her hand before translating. He had wanted to speak first, but poor Vela had clearly felt attacked, and needed to be able to defend herself first.

“And if I could add to Vela’s words; you’ve continually insulted her particularly, and I can’t really just keep letting it go, Fera. I’ve tried to be polite, but Vela is my love and by insulting her, you’re also offending me. She didn’t have to help you, in fact, she’d be justified in leaving you to whatever you had on the station,” he explained levelly, trying to maintain a lighter tone. “But she’s the reason you’re able to conduct your business right now, and she’s been nothing but tolerant and accommodating. And, come on, it’s just a game.”

He shrugged, grinning.

It was somewhat evident to everyone in the room (or maybe it was just Orion being extra attentive to it), but Fera’s general temperature was rising to the point where it heated the air around him. This was never a good sign, and in light of Dritz’s very appropriate speech to him, it was obvious the prince was not taking it well even before the Chrysalan was done talking. However, Fera’s voice was not raised or shrill when he replied, and that was a definite surprise.

“No one asked you,” he said to Dritz, his tone still sharp enough. “It doesn’t matter to me, how you feel about what I say to her. I know what I believe! And I can’t reveal what that is, just in case.”

“Fera, I think you’re being a little ridiculous. There is no plot against you here. And Dritz is right, you-”

“Shut up!” the prince snapped, cutting Orion off and standing, a particularly vicious glare pointed in the human’s direction. “I don’t know whose side you think you’re on, but I have to say I don’t think it’s mine!” He swiveled back around to Dritz and Vela. “Just take me where I need to go. I don’t want to interact with you otherwise.” With that, he turned and walked out of the room in a way which was somehow both angry and elegant at the same time.

Fighting against the urge to immediately go after him, Orion squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, resting his head on the table for a moment. “You guys,” he finally said, voice slightly muffled. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry. You can take us back to the station if you want, I wouldn’t hold it against you. I just thought maybe he’d… you know, I’m not sure what I thought.” He lifted his head in a pained half smile, clearly struggling to hold the hopelessness out of his voice.

Dritz felt the familiar clench of conflict in his stomach. The situation was very quickly approaching a level of conflict he was incredibly anxious about, but almost-thankfully, Fera stormed off before it reached a point of nausea for him.

He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and stood, moving to Orion’s side, where he bent to hug him where he sat, “Hey, it’s… Well, not okay, but also really not your fault. Don’t worry, we’ll resolve this. And if we don’t, well… I dunno. Either way, it will be okay.”

He moved back to where he had been sitting and pulled Vela close, kissing her cheek.

“As for what happens, I need to consult my captain,” he said softly, affectionately. “But… I think she is too good a person, or too true to her word to just turn around and leave you back at the station. Right, flower?”

He realised his words had kind of put poor Vela on the spot, and he grimaced, looking at her apologetically.

Fera’s outburst and resultant exit from the room was actually a relief to Vela. It was better if he was not there, if he had no wish to interact with them. But she saw the tension and stress in the other two males as being much worse than her own. Though, admittedly, she had decided she could care less what Fera did.

[I mean no offense,] she signed slowly to Orion, after taking a moment to nuzzle against Dritz’s side, [but I do find him annoying most of the time. I don’t know what he believes about me for sure, but he is strange. Coronal are very superstitious, maybe it’s how I look…] She thought this over for a moment, then shrugged.

Orion did laugh a little when Dritz translated her words in their entirety. “No offense taken. I know how he can be. He thinks you can control others somehow, through your signing, I guess. I tried to tell him that’s not how it works, but… Fera.” He heaved a sigh, frowning again.

[Maybe he will learn someday,] she continued thoughtfully, not feeling she was beyond teaching him herself somehow. [In the meantime, Dritz is right, I can’t leave you on the station with no way to travel freely. No matter how he makes me feel. For now we might just spend some time apart, at least until we arrive at our destination. Dritz and I can discuss what to do.]

The human was quite agreeable to this, and went to find Fera, who had likely retreated to the bunk room. Vela and Dritz headed back to the navigation deck. where she leaned against him with a tired sigh of her own. She knew that when he looked at her, he could see she was wondering what he thought about the situation so far.

The hum of the engine, or more accurately, the drone of it, was almost welcoming. The sound had always been a comfort to Dritz, reminding him that sometimes things worked against all odds, all the tiny problems that could occur.

“Hey, you know we don’t need to do this, right?” he offered, pulling her close. “I know you want to, because you’re a good person, but honestly, flower, it’s all up to you. If you were to say the word, I’d escort him off the ship and to the nearest outpost.” The Chrysalan was nibbling his lip idly. He knew deep down that Vela wouldn’t say the word. She was too kind, as he had thought, and that of course was a wonderful thing to him.

“I think we can do this amicably. I wanna believe he’s more tolerant than he’s showing…”

Vela nestled against Dritz for a moment, drawing some calmness from him. He was such a comfort, making her life seem easier than it had been before.

[I know,] she finally signed, moving back from him for now. [But I don’t want to do that. This will work out, somehow. Orion is a good friend to have, and I can’t leave him behind. It’s not his fault, even though… I don’t think he has very good taste.] It had been a small joke, but Vela secretly thought it quite true.

[We will get to this station in less than an hour now,] she continued, glancing at the nearby console. [He will conduct his business and then…. Well, then we’ll see if he still wants to travel with us. Maybe he will find it’s not worth it.] She had her doubts, but left them all aside as she turned back to Dritz more earnestly.

[When it’s our turn to stay in the bunk room…] She abandoned her signing there, instead communicating by pressing her body tightly to Dritz’s and softly kissing his neck. For some reason, her longing for him seemed much greater than before, promising extra relief from the stress of the day.

Of course she didn’t want to do that. Dritz smiled warmly. She was the sweetest being in the galaxy. He couldn’t help but snort at her small, sassy jibe.

“I dunno, maybe Fera has bedroom qualities that help make up for all this,” he whispered with a snicker. Judging from the look Vela gave him, his own jibe was not appreciated.

The soft press of her lithe body against his made Dritz close his eyes, smirking as he considered her ‘quiet’ signing and her soft lips on his skin. He let his fingers slide into the soft wisps of hair that just brushed her neck, his other hand slipping around to the small of her back.

“When it’s our turn, I’ll make this all up to you,” he said cheekily, kissing her softly.


	36. Off Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nova goes a little off course.

Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Orion turned the corner to head back into the navigation deck, just in time to see Vela and Dritz embrace and share a tender kiss. He took a step back, thinking he should leave right away, but stopped as a smile crept over his face. Vela had already seen him, anyway.

“Ah, sorry!” he said quickly, turning to the side regardless and grinning. “I can go, if you guys need a few more moments.” After being assured several times that it wasn’t necessary, he sat down in one of the chairs and kept his gaze on them fondly. They were still standing quite near to each other, prompting him to remark on what a lovely couple they were once again.

“And again, I’m sorry about Fera. He’s alright now, or at least mostly. Likely he’ll stay ‘mad’ at you for a while, but it might mean some peace around here until he’s over it. We just have to… you know… keep working on him.” Thinking about the amount of work which had already been put in, with little result, put a frown back on his face. He stood and walked restlessly to the main console, peering at the radar map. “Looks like we’re almost there… right? That might settle him down too, if he has the opportunity to obtain something he might be looking for.”

Dritz hadn’t noticed their pleasantly scruffy human friend until he followed Vela’s gaze. He couldn’t help but playfully ask him if he was enjoying the show.

They agreed that the best solution was to go with the expert. Sometimes Dritz forgot how long Orion and Fera had been together, which in turn reminded him of how long he and Vela had been partnered.

“As the resident professor of Feraology, I’ll trust you on this. Do you know if there’s anything in particular we could do to help his transaction go smoother, y'know,that might put us in His Grace’s good graces?”

Dritz chortled at his little wordplay.

“Can’t say I’m not,” Orion replied with a sly grin, though he was mostly joking as well. Then he couldn’t help but laugh at Dritz’s term for his relationship to the prince. “Feraology is a complicated subject,” he sighed, leaning against the console after he had finished looking at it. “And sometimes when you think you know everything, something will change. I take my job seriously, though.”

For a moment he studied the viewscreen, thinking to himself. “He probably won’t want any help from us. The few times I’ve been around for his dealings, he’s made me stay back and keep quiet. Which I’m more than willing to do in such a case, since he knows what he’s doing. So I think the best thing for us all would be to let him handle it without getting in the way. Which is probably not a very satisfying answer, but it’s all I have to offer.”

Moments later, the buzz of the communications panel cut off any further attempts at conversation. Vela walked over and pressed a few buttons, bringing up a triangular-shaped face on the viewscreen. The species was completely unfamiliar to Orion, but this individual had vibrant yellow skin and a half dozen eyes arranged on top of each other, making him forget for just a moment that staring with a surprised look really wasn’t polite. Without waiting for a greeting, the alien began to speak in guttural Basic.

“Your ship is not scheduled to be here.” The eye on the lower left began to swivel around, apparently looking them over, before seeming to fixate on Dritz. “Chrysalan! State your business here or you need to leave.”

Orion cautiously began taking a few steps backward. Maybe it was time to get Fera.

Dritz beamed, pleased to have amused Orion with his terminology. When Fera wasn’t being tremendously unappreciative, he was actually endearing in the context of the scruffy human, and they were kind of delightful in their complete juxtaposition.

He had been about to thank him for the advice when the alien came over the comms. There was never a time not to be thankful for visual output, but at the same time… Whoa.

“My friend! I’m Dritz,” he announced cheerfully. “We are the crew of the wise and wonderful one who will be with you momentarily. We seek a business deal, but I am afraid I can’t express more at the moment.” He smiled widely as he waited for Fera, brightening with relief when he finally arrived…

Fortunately, it wasn’t too long before Orion returned to the room with the news that they had been hailed in advance of their arrival. It wasn’t surprising to Fera; Sklerians tended to be quite defensive of their property, and Hadrian Gamma was run by a large number of them.

He smoothed his clinging white dress over his hips fussily, which seemed to have the added bonus of distracting his lover into touching him for a moment, causing him to smirk before they headed onto the navigation deck. Beyond wanting to look beautiful for Orion, the Sklerians had also taken quite a liking to his current appearance. They had taste, that was obvious.

“Hello,” he said in address to the viewscreen, ignoring everyone else in the room. “Hopefully I haven’t kept you waiting long.”

“Prince Fera!” the alien’s voice was surprised if nothing else. “We knew you were coming, but this ship… this isn’t like you.” One of the Sklerian’s eyes were focused on his face, but the other five were actively scanning his entire form. Fera preened slightly under this attention, though his smirk had now turned into a coy smile.

“Oh, the Radiant Sun is being redecorated. You know how I am. And you wouldn’t believe the incompetence of some of the contractors out there. It wasn’t going to be finished in time, and I couldn’t miss our business meeting. So I had to hire this very substandard ship… I am a little embarrassed, but honestly, what was I to do?” This lie would work well, considering the Sklerian’s love of gossip. It would spread across the sector in no time, hopefully well in advance of any rumors of the actual reason he had lost his ship.

He turned toward Dritz and frowned. “Bring us into dock at the station. My business partner here has the numbers for you.” The Sklerian rattled off the exact coordinates, but Fera was already inspecting his nails with disinterest. The Vela seemed to be the actual navigator of this ship, but he wasn’t about to address her at all.

Dritz found the Sklerian’s attention to Fera amusing, and understandable. He was, without doubt, very beautiful, and he knew how to command attention, and it was definitely a relief for him to deal with the aliens.

He listened, watching the exchange with increasing intrigue. For some reason he had assumed this was a new contact, he had not anticipated the prince doing repeat business. Unless he liked these aliens because they fawned over him in such a way.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Dritz said, though the tone was almost questioning as he glanced at Vela. Surely Fera should be addressing her for the piloting. He gave her a little look of pleading. He owed Vela a lot after this trip.

Despite Fera having spoken to Dritz instead of her, Vela had been paying close attention and remembered the numbers the strange alien gave for the docking coordinates. She nodded at Dritz’s look, going over to input the information at the console. It didn’t really bother her much to be ignored. It was the mention of her ship being substandard, once again, that put a frown on her face.

Fera and the alien continued to chat briefly, but it was of little importance, so Vela stopped listening. Her mind began working over all the further improvements which could be made to the Nova, in case she ever felt like having them done.

Docking was so smooth that it made any previous experience seem difficult. This was likely due to the fact that Fera was expected, and the station was making every effort to make sure they had the prince of Coronus on board as quickly as possible. Vela idly wondered whether he brought them a great deal of credits, of if he had something else of worth to offer.

“Your services are not needed for the moment,” Fera told the rest of them airily once the ship had stopped moving. “I will only take a short time here, so there is not even any need for you to come with me. In fact, it might be better if no one is seen with me.” His gaze swept over them all, plainly dismissing them (though he seemed to pause for one conflicted second when looking at Orion) before he left through the ship’s main door.

With a sigh, the human turned to Dritz and Vela, taking his hands out of his pockets for the first time since he’d brought Fera to talk to the Sklerian. “Makes me feel bad when he treats you that way, but then he goes and does it to me too, and I feel even worse.” He chuckled softly, not feeling too bad when he thought about it. But he did wish Fera would treat his friends better. There had to be hope that he would someday. “Sooo… a friendly game of cards, then? It’s bound to turn out friendlier than our last one, at least.”

Never before had any station, ship of any size, nor had any planet made docking and registering so incredibly easy. Dritz recalled orbiting a scrap barge for nearly four hours once while they arranged docking charges and verified his cargo, identity, and clearance with what felt like every possible crew member. Obviously princes of Coronus got the five star treatment.

… And obviously princes of Coronus did not dish out the five star treatment.

“Huh. Guess a card game is in order,” he announced cheerfully, despite his increasing displeasure in Fera’s attitude. How could he speak to a partner the same way he spoke to Dritz and Vela?! It was baffling.

Nevertheless, the three of them retreated to the kitchen and common area where their table was, and with the addition of another round of flowering tea, they played a good few rounds of cards. Many, many more than anticipated as the time went on. Vela remained supernaturally good, putting down hands that were so right it could look like cheating to anyone who didn’t know better. She just knew how to bluff well and manipulate the other players most innocently. In a rare moment of lesser luck for Vela, Orion and Dritz managed a very tense rally between them during one game, but eventually the Aurian swept a graceful victory again.

“Bah, she’s too gooood,” Dritz groaned to himself, grinning as he shoved his cards down. “But… Is it me or has it been ages?”

Vela won repeatedly, but Orion didn’t mind. It was pretty cute to watch her smile modestly as she laid down the winning hand, or set up a complicated bluff with such a blank expression. He actually thought he should ask her for tips on the game sometime.

The rest of his thoughts were distracted by the fact that Fera had been gone far longer than “a short time.” When Dritz mentioned it, the human nodded and stood. “It’s been hours. I really thought he meant maybe… thirty minutes. Maybe I don’t understand what Coronal think of as a little while.” He meant to joke lightly, but the worry showed in his voice. “Hey, I’m just gonna go back up to the navigation deck for now. Maybe Fera will turn up soon.”

Vela indicated that she would stay and clean up the game, apparently telling Dritz to go on ahead, as Orion found himself alone with the Chrysalan on the way back up to the deck. He clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile as they walked.

“Look, I’m… really sorry again, about what’s happened. I hope Vela isn’t too upset about traveling with His Royal Fussiness. I can freely admit that sometimes he’s a real jerk, and especially to her.” He stopped a moment and sighed, facing Dritz seriously. “I know you look after her. If it ever seems too much and she won’t admit it, ask her to turn the ship around and take us back to Hesperus. I won’t be offended.”

Before leaving Vela to tidy the game, Dritz pulled her close and kissed her cheek, whispering a congratulations on all of her wins before following Orion up to the navigation deck.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging good-naturedly, “Eh… I wouldn’t worry too much, Ori. It’s frustrating to have him be so rude to her, considering she’s been wonderful to him, really, but at the same time… she’s tough, and I wouldn’t wanna disrespect her by fighting a battle for her? I’ve no doubt she could handle him herself, but yeah,” he mused, his antennae flicking gently as they walked, “That being said, though, I will keep that in mind.” He beamed at Orion.

“Hey, so… what I’m about to ask isn’t any sort of rudely-intended kinda question, but how do you deal with him? You guys have been together for a good while now, which is great, but he doesn’t even seem to be that nice to you sometimes,” he asked, looking amusingly perplexed. If he thought Fera was making Orion truly unhappy, he would have said more, but thankfully he thought the two of them worked better together than most would guess.

“Well, I understand that,” Orion sound, feeling just a bit relieved. “And from all I’ve seen she’s quite the strong person. If she really wanted to go back, I do think she’d say. I was mostly asking for my own peace of mind. We’ll both have to hope that Fera decides to treat her better someday, because no amount of asking on my part has seemed to help so far.” It would continue to trouble him until that day came, but all they really could do for now was hope.

Dritz’s next question, however, brought him a smile that was closer to a smirk than he usually wore. They had arrived on the deck and he leaned against one of the consoles as he considered it, glancing at the dark viewscreen.

“No offense taken. We really have been together for a while, huh… But yeah, when I’m in a group with anyone he considers inferior, he often extends the same 'inferior’ treatment to me. Alone, it’s different. But with others… I guess it’s just a habit. He doesn’t want anyone to see him giving me good treatment, since that would be beneath him as a prince… or I guess that’s the official reason, anyway. So it’s not that big of a deal, and I don’t mind it, for now. I can wait until he learns to get over himself in public.”

Another thought did trouble him, and he felt certain there could be no harm in talking about it with Dritz. “Sometimes I worry, though… Especially with what’s just happened with his ship. If he refuses a royal pairing, I guess it could be possible that they’d kick him out of the family and he’d have to give up his princely status to someone else. I’d hate to see his mental state if that were to happen… I mean, you saw how he was with just losing his ship…” Orion was frowning now, still staring at the viewscreen and almost trying to will Fera to appear on it immediately and say he was ready to leave.“

It didn’t sit right with Dritz to think of Fera treating Orion with the same disdain he often showed for himself and Vela, but part of him was beginning to wonder if that was, in fact, his own experiences as a Chrysalan. With their own partners, Chrysalans didn’t tend to tolerate behaviour like that. Of course, it happened, as it did with anyone in the galaxy, but Dritz had never seen it. Still, he trusted Orion’s judgement.

"So long as he does make you happy,” he said firmly, nodding.

With relation to Fera’s position on Coronus, Dritz found himself again out of his depth. He took Orion’s hand, holding it with his own while patting it reassuringly with the other. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it, yeah? Fera clearly loves you deeply, so… Maybe it will not be so bad as the ship?”

Of course, he did not believe that in the slightest.

“Of course he makes me happy,” Orion said easily, grinning as Dritz took his hand. He was confident of his skill in reading the prince, and was sure he was better at it than anyone. Then his smile faltered as he considered what was said next. “Whether he loves me, well…” Did Fera love him? The word had not yet passed between them, though his own affection was certainly strong…

There was no time to consider the thought further before the comm light came on again. Luckily, Vela had also just arrived and promptly went to switch on the viewscreen before moving to Dritz’s side, slipping an arm around his waist.

Fera appeared in front of them, a satisfied and nearly gloating expression on his face that made Orion sigh gently. Obviously his dealings had gone well, but he was about to be insufferable because of it.

“So kind of you to wait for me,” he said with a smirk. “I’ve just been having a marvelous time with the Sklerians here. They know everything about what makes me happy. Unlike some people.” He glowered briefly at Dritz and Vela before his coy smile returned. “And they are such charming hosts. They truly understand me. Again… unlike some. So naturally, I had to stay a little longer than intended. They offered some rather lovely delicacies and even champagne… I’m tempted to stay here, but then I will miss my other meetings”

Orion folded his arms, letting a hint of displeasure creep into his voice. “Fera, it really would have been nice if you’d let us know instead of making me worry about what was taking so long. If you’d stop and think about others once and a while instead of-”

“I am sure that would be lovely,” the prince said with a dismissive shrug. “Just get the door open for me.” Orion’s sigh was louder this time, and the look he sent in Dritz and Vela’s direction plainly said “sorry” without a word.

Fera swept back on board the ship looking no different than before, and no other obvious signs that he had attained anything new. “I suppose you sat around staring at each other while waiting,” he said with some sarcasm to Dritz, likely having forgotten all about the incident from earlier that day, as Orion had expected.

Dritz couldn’t help the frown that crossed his face just briefly. Surely one person could not be so selfish as to act in such a way. To their partner at the very least. Still, he was going over and over these thoughts and coming to no better conclusions, so it would be better to try and forget about it. As much as possible, anyway.

“Oh, nah, we’ve actually had a nice time,” he offered, shrugging good-naturedly, “Played some games, had some tea, some laughs…” Of course, he had the feeling Fera simply wouldn’t care, but part of him also had a juvenile desire for Fera to be slightly jealous. Cuz why the hell should he act superior when Dritz, Orion and Vela had been enjoying a lovely time too. Until the concern.

“Glad your business went down well. Where to next?”

Fera’s eyes narrowed as he studied Dritz. They could not have had a good time. He hadn’t been here. How could they have a good time without him?

“If you say so,” he replied in a tone of utter boredom. “Oh, yes. It’s a small outpost located on one of the moons orbiting the planet Redross. You will have to look up the details, I don’t know them.”

Having largely dismissed them all again, Fera swept an arm out dramatically and smirked. “Now I am tired, so I will be making use of your substandard sleeping area. I trust I will not be disturbed.” He cast a significant look at Orion, showing that he might allow his presence at least, before walking away with his nose in the air.

The human was beginning to feel his skill at sighing had reached a fine art. “I’m sorry, again. Those Sklerians probably really fed into his ego, so he’s basically intolerable at the moment. But I’ll try talking to him. And I am getting pretty tired too, I guess… you both already said you’d rested? Good. I’ll turn back up in another eight hours or so. From what I remember, Redross is a full day’s travel from this part of the galaxy.”

Dritz and Vela wished Orion a good rest, and Vela went to the navigation console after he had left. She began looking up coordinates on which moon would have a station, but paused to glance at Dritz. [He is a nuisance,] she signed, clearly meaning Fera.

Once the details had all been set, with the flight path showing twenty-five hours of travel time, they departed the station’s docking structure and were on their way through space once again. Vela found herself moving back to Dritz, leaning against him as she watched the stars streak past on the viewscreen for a moment.

[The Nova is not substandard in any way… is it?] She knew it wasn’t, but Fera continually bringing it up was beginning to chip away at her confidence in the matter, however slightly.

With Orion successfully having sighed some more and decided to rest, Dritz agreed with Vela’s perfect assessment of the prince of Coronus. “Ori saying Fera’s intolerable now… heh, he’s got the love blindness, huh?” he chuckled, though he was, of course, still fond of the lanky human, and even his flouncing lover.

The alone time with Vela felt as though it had been a very long time coming, and Dritz took the first chance that arose to pull her into his lap, stroking her silvery, silky hair. It had not been a terribly long time, but even still, he found himself leaning in close to savour her scent and the softness of her skin against his.

Her signing caused him to bristle, however, his antennae arcing up as he frowned. The Nova was a feat of self-trained engineering, and an unpolished beauty to him, something raw and powerful and clever. All substance with none of the cold, clinical aspects of modern ships. “Flower, the Nova is as beautiful and unique and charming as her captain. It is of the highest standard to me,” he promised, kissing her cheek and temple.

It didn’t surprise Vela when Dritz tugged her down to sit on his lap, and she curled up slightly and nuzzled against his neck, breathing him in as he stroked her hair. It was lovely to be so close to him, melting away much of the day’s stress.

His words further soothed her, and she sat back up to sign. [Thank you. I… never really thought it was. He is wrong, and there is so much he doesn’t understand. I feel like he needs to start learning.]

She leaned back against Dritz again, wondering how Fera could ever begin to learn if he didn’t seem open to the concept in the first place. He had led a far different life than she could even imagine, and she wondered if it was possible that he… just couldn’t change at all.

That thought was oddly depressing, so she left it aside and returned her full attention to Dritz. There were many hours before Orion and Fera would reappear, but they couldn’t risk one of them showing up before that. Still, they surely had some time right now where that chance was incredibly small…

Vela moved one arm behind Dritz’s neck, using her free hand to tilt his head down to kiss her lips. Soft and sweet, she kissed him multiple times, feeling a slow build toward passion. Soon she had to stop, slightly breathless and peering into his eyes to ask what he was thinking about, as she knew he would be able to guess.

Vela always fit against him so perfectly. It was such a strange thing to remember their comparable height, because she seemed to be able to curl up so small and tuck herself against him so wonderfully. It was good that Vela felt reassured by his words, he hated to think of Fera’s previous statements as undermining her confidence in her ship.

Soon they were simply relaxing together, listening to the hums and beats of the ship’s workings, the Nova’s own symphony of power playing just for them. Vela turned to him and pulled him into blissfully soft kisses, quietly promising hunger and passion beneath. Her gaze told him all he needed to know.

With a lazy smile and darkened eyes, Dritz searched her expression as he stroked her neck, down to her shoulder and round her back, down to her hip, where he held and squeezed before reluctantly tearing their gaze apart and leaning in to brush his lips against her neck.

The reason Vela was able to fit herself so well against Dritz was, she thought, because of a simple desire to do so. It was a longing to be as close as she could, a feeling her people would experience due to the harsh cold around them and a need to feel warm. Even if her surroundings were no longer cold, she still craved the extra warmth Dritz could bring her. And there would never be an Aurian soft and warm as he was.

Forgetting everything beyond the feel of his hand roaming down her body, then his lips at her neck, Vela tilted her head back with a soft sigh. She reached inside his jacket, wanting him to remove it and wanting to feel more of him, while shifting her body back and resuming their kisses, which had grown noticeably more passionate.

Dritz could feel an eagerness in her fingers, almost taste the suggestion in her kisses. He shrugged his jacket off without missing a beat, turning her initial touch into a smooth motion of him disrobing, almost as though she was controlling his movements.

Humans and Coronal probably slept a good few hours, right?

Deciding to risk it, he tugged his shirt off too, pulling Vela close so he could wrap his warm arms around her in a way he knew she would enjoy, stroking her hair as their passion built, perhaps unintentionally at first, but soon with an undeniable overtone of lust.

A pleased breath escaped Vela’s lips as Dritz pulled off his shirt. She loved his bright clothing, but it was so much better to nestle against his naked chest and stomach, especially. At the moment, it brought her arousal to a new height while they continued to kiss passionately.

Uncertain about removing her own clothing, she instead moved the loose shoulders of her tunic down in order to give her lover easy access to her chest, encouraging him to touch her there. Almost without making a conscious decision to do so, one hand slipped down below his stomach to lightly tease him through his trousers. Her focus was not on their location, but on how good they both felt just then, and building those feelings into something even more pleasant.

After all, it would not be the first time they had been intimate in an area of the ship other than the bunk room.

Dritz leaned back enough to watch Vela loosen her clothes about her shoulders, not removing her tunic completely, but exposing a flash of pale skin to him and drawing his hands in, in invitation to touch her as she took the chance to touch him too.

Sighing happily, he slid his hands into her tunic, playing his fingers over her ribs, and up to the soft curve of her breasts. As he did so, he kissed her neck gently, listening to the changes in her breathing.

There was a rattle of machinery, as sometimes happened on a ship, and Dritz jerked instinctively, pulling Vela close. After a second, her chuckled, “Sorry, flower… Thought we were about to be caught.”

Vela had been relaxing into the touch of Dritz’s fingers massaging up her chest when she was startled by the noise. It was not so much the noise that surprised her, however, as it was the Chrysalan’s reaction of suddenly pulling her close.

She huddled against him, blinking as she looked around in confusion, then relaxed as she realized what had happened. [It’s alright,] she signed, pulling back for the moment to do so. [It’s… a little different when there is someone else on board. But I’m sure they won’t come out very soon…]

With that, Vela gave Dritz a hungry look before pulling him to kiss her lips again. It wasn’t enough for her this time, needing to feel more from him than just a kiss. Despite what she had said, it wouldn’t be practical for them to fully disrobe or engage in the usual forms of pleasure they enjoyed together.

Breaking the kiss, she looked right into Dritz’s eyes as she signed something very specific. It was a phrase they had had to invent for themselves in the Aurian language, and she had to exhale with some amusement because of how eager she was appearing when moving her hands to suggest it.

Dritz’s heart was still pounding at the startling noise, but his sudden fear had turned into the kind of giddy amusement that only occurred during a heightened state. Chuckling, he met her kisses with hunger that only grew when she pulled away to sign that to him. Her eagerness, her state of undress, it was a sight he would certainly commit to memory.

-

Even after they were both spent, there was still plenty of time before they would need to consider moving or getting fully dressed once again. Dritz stretched out, his face flushed, and stroked Vela’s hair for a moment.

[Shower? We have time,] he signed, too relaxed to speak, and at the same time enjoying the intimacy that came with practicing Aurian.

It took a few moments for Vela to lazily respond, though she smiled at Dritz’s signing. [I would love to.] She moved closer to him before lifting her tunic to cover herself a little better. Despite not removing all of their clothes, the situation had been… pleasant. Which was a word she did not think was strong enough.

She stood up and stretched before continuing. [That was good. We should do that again… soon.] The prospect of a shower was even better. Sometimes, if the mood struck them, they even made love in the shower. The fact that she was under running water as well as naked with Dritz at the same time meant it was one of her favorites.

Regardless of whether they were too tired this time or not, she was more than eager for the shower. With a playful look, she waited for Dritz to join her but did not move after this, expecting he would want to pick her up and carry her there as he often did.

Dritz stood up after her, his legs somewhat weak after their intense moments, but his muscles warm and relaxed. Certainly not too weak to scoop his feather light lover off her feet and into his warm embrace, kissing her with a smile against her lips.

The washroom on the ship had been another point of disgust for Fera, but Dritz had many a fond memory in the cramped room. It was as patched as the rest of the Nova, with all the same beauty. It was enclosed, and tight enough for just one individual (especially of Dritz’s stature), but that close proximity was nothing but satisfying with Vela in there too. If anything, he preferred their times washing together more so.

He turned the water on as warm as they could comfortably stand it and stripped his clothing off, kicking it to the side, “Come and let me hold you.”

Vela thoroughly enjoyed being carried by now, even if she had been skeptical of it at first. She nuzzled her face against Dritz’s shirt, breathing in his scent and feeling his warmth as he brought her to the washroom.

Her reluctance to be set down vanished quickly as Dritz turned on the shower and removed his clothes. It had not escaped her notice many times before that he seemed to enjoy watching her take off her own clothing, so she moved a little slower for his enjoyment.

[We probably should have come here in the first place,] she signed as she went to join him at last. [But I don’t mind. What we did was very… exciting.] She smiled, thinking that was not quite a word she found strong enough. The water temperature was perfect, and being pressed in close to Dritz was more than wonderful. It was such a close fit that signing was near impossible, but that was usually never a problem.

For just a moment, however… Vela could have sworn she felt the Nova move beneath her feet in a way that it shouldn’t be right now. Almost as though it had made a slight shift. That was impossible; there was no one at the navigation controls. Maybe she was getting tired as well, or maybe she was unsteady on her feet after the pleasure she had shared with Dritz. Whatever it was, she quickly dismissed it. She had confidence in her ship and there was no reason for anything strange to have occurred.

Besides, it was easy to forget that when she pressed herself close to Dritz’s warm, wet body, feeling the heated water wrap around her the same way his arms did.

Dritz couldn’t help a playful smirk when he was able to watch Vela remove her clothes. She had noticed the specific parts of her movement that seemed to allure him the most, and now seemed to almost revel in his attention. It was always her slim hips and stomach he enjoyed the most, with the hint of strength and whisper of muscle beneath the silky skin.

“Nah, I think I kind of liked the idea of them coming in and seeing us,” the Chrysalan chuckled. “In a way.” The first few times they showered together, Dritz had been conscious of the space his body took up and had tried to make himself squish into the corner to allow Vela more space. It quickly became apparent the Aurian wanted the exact opposite, and now they enjoyed being oddly cramped in the shower, sharing warm water and body heat together.

Holding Vela close, Dritz couldn’t resist starting to wash her hair for her, without really being asked. He just wanted to play with it and enjoy making her feel nice. He trailed his fingers through her hair with the fragrant soap they had, paying special attention to putting slight pressure on her scalp.

Vela gave Dritz a slightly disapproving frown at the mention of them being seen as a good idea. Even if there was no real shame in their actions, especially someone like Fera … well, she didn’t want him to have the privilege, not that he would want it in the first place.

Soon enough, however, she had forgotten all about princes of Coronus or anything else other than the sensation of Dritz’s fingers sliding through her wet hair, a light pressure against her head that was completely soothing to her. It was unlike anything she had experienced, and she enjoyed it so much that Dritz did frequently wash her hair without needing to be asked first.

She pressed herself even closer to him, careful to not let water run over her mechanical eye, before relaxing completely into the feel of his body and his fingers in her hair, the soap’s gentle floral scent, and wondering if it would be too soon for them to make love all over again.

-

Hours later, after many relaxed card games and signed conversations as Dritz further practiced his Aurian language skills, Orion finally reappeared from the bunk room looking a bit disheveled. Vela hadn’t thought he could look more scruffy, but somehow he had managed it.

“Hey,” he greeted them with a grin. “Er… good morning. I take it your… 'day’ went well? Fera’s in your washroom currently, trying to freshen up, or something. He’s really annoyed about it, but…” Vela watched him as he shrugged, not seeming too worried over it. It made her feel better to know that Orion wasn’t overly concerned about whether Fera was dissatisfied with the ship. Her confidence had returned, and thanks to that, she had forgotten about the sensation she had experienced before getting into the shower and had not checked any of the consoles.

Dammit, Vela was… Terrifyingly good at the various card games. It seemed that no matter what Dritz suggested they play, within a game or two, she would pick up the rules and methods, and be deep into a winning streak. Were he a more competitive being, Dritz would have been so mad. As it happened, he was childishly, delightedly baffled by it. Were he a more paranoid being, he’d probably suspect her mechanical eye of being an assistance. He knew it was only a lens for distance, of course.

The appearance of Orion took a second to register as he was still reeling from a lost game of Chrysalan Drawback, which Vela won on her very first game; unprecedented even for her. It also happened to be Dritz’s best game.

“Hey,” he said eventually, looking up. He beamed, “Nice hair! But hey, where do we need to be next, d'you know?”

“Oh… uh,” Orion managed less than eloquently, reaching up to feel his hair. Was it really sticking up in three different places? He grinned to himself then, wondering if he should have tried to freshen up the way Fera was. Then again, he was unused to company after waking up on a ship. And he wasn’t nearly as fastidious as his lover.

“Thanks, I do my best,” he continued, taking a seat with them. “Looks like you’re enjoying another game. Wow, I don’t know this one.” He was studying the cards intently, but then looked up with a sheepish expression. “Oh, right. I’m not fully awake yet. I know you guys got the right coordinates put in. But I don’t know much about where we’re actually going. It’s weird but… I’m not too familiar with Redross as a planet.” Now he frowned, disappointed in himself. He was proud of having a fairly extensive knowledge of the galaxy, having traveled so many places. “And it’s one of the moons, apparently… huh. Weird. Fera didn’t tell me anything about it.”

He turned his attention to Vela. “Do you know anything about it?” She shook her head, and Orion watched the light catch the edge of her mechanical eye as she did so. “Any way you could store extra info in your eye someday, like a computer of sorts?” He was teasing, but the Aurian seemed to consider it seriously, glancing at Dritz to translate for her.

[I have thought of modifications before. But I never considered a computer… that would be interesting. It depends on what Dritz thinks, too… I don’t think he wants anyone other than himself to work on it.]

Dritz listened contentedly to the two of them (or more Orion, though he knew Vela always contributed non-verbally). Much as he mostly wanted the Nova to be a haven for just himself and Vela, to have someone else there to talk to, to engage with Vela as much as he did. Sometimes he couldn’t help but think her unique language might be isolating to her, despite how strong and capable she was. Of course, he’d never really asked…

The mention of her special eye did cause him to pay more attention to the discussion, such as it was able to be before his input. He nodded once he had translated for her, signing along idly as practice.

“Yeah, it’s true… I’d really rather I work on your eye,” he said seriously. “I know it might seem kinda… Arrogant, but… I love you a lot, flower, and I can’t comprehend the idea of trusting anyone touching it.” After a moment, he glanced between them, “But, if you trusted someone else too, I wouldn’t refuse them.”

Vela shook her head, smiling. [It isn’t arrogant. I love you too. And even if I trusted someone else to do it, I think I would prefer you did it.] She was in careful, loving hands with Dritz and knew he would also have the skill necessary once she had taught him. What more would she need?

“I see. That’s great, though. And it sounds like a fun couples’ activity,” Orion continued teasing lightly, resting his chin on one hand as he grinned at Dritz and Vela. They really were one of the loveliest couples he had had the pleasure of meeting, too. Both of them were obviously devoted and still quite smitten with each other, supporting and caring in every situation. He could only hope that someday his relationship with Fera would seem half as easy. Speaking of…

“I’m gonna go check on the prince. Maybe comb my hair while I’m at it,” he added sheepishly, promising to be back soon. It was taking Fera much too long, even for him.

In the meantime, Vela had fallen into a more businesslike mood as she thought about Fera’s next trade visit. Beckoning for Dritz to join her, she walked to the navigation deck to be certain everything was in order.

[We should insist to go with him this time,] she told him, though she was not sure they could necessarily do that. Her life on Aurctas had taught her that trade negotiations could be delicate and thrown off by any number of factors, including the mere presence of certain individuals. Before she could mention this, her gaze fell on the navigation console automatically to check that their course was holding.

It was holding… but not on their original destination.

[We are not headed to the planet I set course for,] she signed slowly to Dritz, still in obvious disbelief. Was it better to stop the ship now, or wait and see if the flight path would correct itself? But how would it have changed in the first place?

“Hey, I’ve heard weirder activities,” Dritz laughed heartily, giving a little wink. He didn’t want to say aloud that the thought of giving that to Vela, using his skills to further the enhancement she chose for herself, felt like the most romantic gift he could give her. He didn’t want to say that he was deeply interested in her eye; the only thing of its kind he had been made aware of and not felt faint about. Well, nearly. It made her beautiful, and special.

“Okie doke, give us a shout if there’s anything you need,” the Chrysalan said breezily as Orion left. Vela… didn’t seem herself as she escorted him back to the deck.

“Yeah, I think maybe we should… One of us, anyway. You have language for trade, right, would you feel confident enough…?” he stopped mid-thought at the sight of her expression.

“What…? That’s not possible,” he said, stepping up to the console. Well, it was possible enough, as it was in front of his eyes. “We should alter our course again…” he offered, though he didn’t seem so sure himself.

Vela took another long moment to study the console, then shook her head. [I think we should let it take us to the new destination. There is no possible way this happened by itself. Someone has done this deliberately.]

She let the accusation lie for the moment, thinking it over for herself. She had been with Dritz the entire time since she had first set the course. Beyond that, it was impossible that either of them would think to change it. That left Orion and Fera. They had been asleep, but… There was the period of time when Vela had been with Dritz in the washroom. That was the only time it could have been done. Thinking back, she remembered the sensation of the ship shifting under her feet, and frowned at her own negligence in checking the navigation sooner.

Why would Orion change the course? She really had no reason to believe he would. Which left Fera. And it didn’t matter what the reason was, she knew he must have done it.

[It was him,] she signed abruptly, turning back to Dritz. She had no sign for Fera’s name, but it was usually obvious who she was referring to by her generally more annoyed expression. [He changed the course. You have to confront him over it.]

Vela did not usually act this way, but she was usually not so upset. What right did Fera have to tamper with the controls when he had such disdain for the Nova? It didn’t matter who he was, he had no right at all.

Dritz apparently came to the same realisation that Vela had, at roughly the same time, his yellow eyes widening. Literally no one else could have changed course, but…

[Could it have been really, though?] he asked. [He wouldn’t know how to touch the Nova, right?] He didn’t seem to notice his signing inaccuracies, as he didn’t want to risk being overheard.

In truth, he also had no idea what he was supposed to say to the prince, or Orion. But he owed it to Vela; any changes to the ship made without permission from the captain were… Technically mutiny. But then, was that just the crew? Either way, if Fera had tampered with the controls, it was another slight against her generosity in taking him everywhere.

He stepped forward, taking her hands and kissing them before he continued, [We need to remain calm, flower, I am here for you, and I’m sure we can work this out.]

“Gentlemen,” Dritz called, trying to sound relaxed. “Could you make your way to the navi console as soon as possible?”

Vela shook her head, frustrated and not really able to think straight. She understood what Dritz’s stranger attempts at signing meant, but drew comfort most of all from his effort to assure her they would sort it out.

[I will try. Thank you. I didn’t think he was knowledgeable on navigation systems, let alone one as different as this ship. But it’s the only explanation… the only one.] She stepped back after Dritz had called for Orion and Fera, staying close to him but wanting to keep a good eye on the way the situation would proceed from here.

It took nearly another ten minutes at the very least for Orion to drag Fera out after they had been called. Of course, it wasn’t nearly like dragging at all, as the prince would never have allowed that. But it did take a good deal of flattery, including appreciative comments on the trailing white dress Fera wore, and the detailed work he had put into his hair and makeup. None of that was particularly hard to do though; he was stunning.

“Right, you called?” Orion announced themselves as they entered the room. His smile had been relaxed, but it faded into slight nervousness when he saw the look on Vela’s face in particular. He had never seen her very displeased… but she looked that way now. “Is something wrong…?”

Fera found himself wearing a smirk which he had no desire to hide. So they had noticed. “Oh my. Yes. Is something wrong?” he echoed, narrowing his eyes at the Vela when she glared at him.

Dritz didn’t have nearly as long to consider what he might say as he would have liked, but really, there was no way around it.

“Let me explain as best I can,” he began, shuffling from one foot to the other as he tried to think how to approach the whole situation. No matter what, it would sound like an accusation, so it was probably best to begin with establishing it was not, but really, where did he go from there? “We offered to take you where you needed to be without the expectation of payment, or anything similar, because we knew we owed a debt. Now, I’m not saying anyone’s done anything, but also, Vela and I should be the only ones that should be able to change course. The time signature determines that it wasn’t either of us, which leaves only yourselves. Neither of us are… angry, as such, we just feel somewhat betrayed by the fact that the ship’s delicate navicomputer has clearly been messed with, when it is a vital part of the ship we take great pains to keep working perfectly. Particularly… I feel like this is really disrespectful to Vela. She’s been an accommodating captain, guys… And she really didn’t have to be. So, I just wanted to ask which of you changed our course? If it needed recalculating, we would rather you inform one of us and we can calculate a much, much safer route.”

He knew it was Fera, because of course it was, but he had to seem diplomatic as possible. Maybe Orion would be able to throw in his own thoughts too…

During the course of Dritz’s speech, Orion could feel his mouth falling open in disbelief. The navigation had been tampered with? And if he hadn’t done it, and Dritz and Vela obviously hadn’t…

“Fera…” he said after Dritz had finished, turning to stare at his currently nonchalant partner. “Why would you do this? Everything Dritz said is true. It really is disrespectful to Vela in particular. And I’m really disappointed that you-”

He was interrupted with a loud sigh from Fera, who rolled his eyes and finally acted with anything other than disinterest. “Thank you for just accusing me without proof. But yes, I did change the course. I watched her do it the first time, and I could easily remember how. I am not stupid like you think I am.” He was referring to the card game he had participated in, where everyone had treated him so unfairly. Something like this certainly paid them back.

“I wouldn’t ruin your precious controls,” he continued, glaring at Vela momentarily before sticking his nose in the air. “I’m still on this ship, aren’t I? I’m not about to sacrifice myself on it. To be quite honest, I have been rather bored. None of you seem to understand the needs of royalty. So I set the destination to a place I would rather be. I knew you wouldn’t agree to just take me. And we should be getting close, considering you have not changed the course again.” He smirked triumphantly, clearly not seeing how his behavior was problematic at all.

Orion also sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. He could just feel a headache coming on. “Fera, you have a lot to learn about proper conduct outside of a royal setting,” he muttered before turning back to Dritz and Vela. “I’ll certainly say I’m sorry first. This was really uncalled for. Maybe you… should just drop us off at the next station, see if we can find our own way from there.”

Dritz added his own sigh, feeling his stomach cramping. The atmosphere was exactly what he had hoped to avoid. It was too close to confrontation, too close to a fight, albeit verbal. He cleared his throat.

“No one has treated you with anything but respect, especially Orion. Maybe once you apologize to Vela, as I think you need, you should be nicer to him too, he’s been so pleasant, and so helpful. Frankly, we have all bent to your whims when we didn’t really need to,” he said, slightly sharply. “Maybe if you were a more humble guest, Vela would have gladly agreed to take you whereverthehell. No one wants to give to someone, or help someone, when they’re constantly rude.”

He frowned at Orion, not wanting to kick them off, really, but at this stage he was absolutely not about to make that decision. He turned to Vela with a serious expression.

“I think the course of action is yours to decide, flower, being the one who’s suffered the most on this journey. Did you wanna deliberate in private, or you know what you wanna do?”

Fera listened with narrowed eyes, bristling slightly the longer Dritz continued. How dare he speak in this way? Who did he think he was, to be able to address him in such a manner?

“I am the prince of Coronus,” he managed through gritted teeth. “And you-”

“We’re not on Coronus.” Orion had interrupted, and Fera turned to stare at him instead. His lover sounded… strangely calm, but also disappointed somehow. “You really can’t do whatever you like when you’re off the planet. Surely you understand that? Weren’t you taught anything about diplomacy? I’m sorry to have to side with everyone else, but they really are right. It’s something you have to learn about dealing with others: kindness will get you farther than trying to take what you want all the time. Now, apologize to Vela or I’m going to insist they drop us off, no matter what she decides.”

There wasn’t any doubt that Orion was serious. This was, oddly, a side of him which Fera found attractive. Not so much in the physical sense… more of a structured feeling that he craved, and hadn’t realized before. Slowly, he turned back toward the Aurian, feeling himself trembling with… some emotion he couldn’t figure out.

“I am… sorry,” he forced himself to say, though it hurt worse than anything he had ever done before. He looked away again, frowning. “I don’t like the way the galaxy operates outside of Coronus.”

“You want to go back?” Orion prompted, more gently this time. When he was met with silence, he gave Vela a weak smile. “What do you say, Captain Vela? As Dritz said, it’s really up to you.”

Vela had not signed at all during the entire exchange between the others. However, it only took her a few seconds to reply to Orion and Dritz. [He apologized. I don’t really care, so I’d like to continue on. I’m interested in new places, and I would like to see somewhere a prince would have an interest in visiting.] Her mouth curved just barely into a smile, as she nodded for Dritz to translate.

Dritz wanted to tell Fera that he absolutely respected his station as a prince, of course he did. But the difference was that he would respect Fera regardless of his royalty, so long as he was decent enough to Vela, and appreciated how much she had let him speak rudely to her, and accuse her of… well, whatever it was he seemed to think she was doing when she signed. Nevertheless, Fera had apologised, and as far as Dritz was concerned, all was forgiven. This was cemented when Vela explained.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Dritz said respectfully, smiling. It did mean a lot to him to see Vela’s smile coming through, even slightly. “Vela says she’s happy to continue on course, and that she’s interested to see where someone of your high birth would wish to go.” His gaze flickered to Vela, and they exchanged a knowing look. Fera would probably love that she wished to know specifically where a prince might want to be, and he thought that an especially smart thing to emphasise.

“Does she, now,” Fera muttered, but quickly changed his apparent attitude when he realized Orion was still watching him closely. “Fine. That works for me. And you all should be excited to learn that we are headed to… well, it’s a resort, I suppose you could say. It’s very exclusive, however, only for those of importance around the galaxy and any guests they choose to bring. Of course, it’s also very luxurious. I don’t know, I’m just so bored here on this tiny ship, without a large room of my own, or real baths, or… anything. I need to be somewhere more fitting, at least for a while.”

Orion was now smiling weakly, and it was obvious he was bewildered by this sudden turn of events. “Alright, but Fera… I’m guessing a place like that is pretty expensive. We can’t just-”

“Oh, we can,” the prince sighed. He was remembering what Dritz said about treating Orion better. Wouldn’t this be a wonderful gift for him? “I will pay for everything. I am worth more credits than you can even imagine. And you’d never even guess how much profit I made at our last stop. We could stay weeks on that alone.”

“Ah…” Orion had lost none of his bewildered look, turning it toward Dritz and Vela instead. “You both still interested in something like this?”

[He said something about baths,] Vela signed eagerly to Dritz. [You think it’s worth going, don’t you?] If this “resort” was large enough, then maybe they could stay far away from Fera the entire time… though the baths alone were nearly enough to sell it to her.

Dritz blinked in surprise, looking at both Orion and Vela. The Aurian, the woman he had fallen so deeply in love with, had the bright look in her eye that always brought a flutter of joy and adoration. She was so excited about the idea of the baths, of course he wanted her to be able to go and enjoy it, but…

“I’m not sure we could,” he muttered, embarrassed. Fera had not specifically offered to pay for himself and Vela as well, or if they had been included, Dritz couldn’t take it in good conscience anyway. “I mean… I really want to. But can we afford to pay our way?”

He hated to ask her in front of the other two, but he had to know they’d be comfortable affording their room on the station, as well as fuel and supplies.

Fera sighed loudly, interrupting their conversation before Vela could even lift her hands to reply. “Listen, I don’t make these plans without thought, much as it may surprise you. I will pay for everything. Think of it as… the payment you would not take for our transport earlier. I know it was in repayment of your debt to me, but I suppose… that with what has occurred, you are in need of some extra compensation.”

Vela considered this, turning to Dritz with a comforting expression. [I think he’s trying to say it’s to pay us back for all the trouble he’s caused. And he did cause a lot of trouble. So we should take him up on the offer. I feel like he owes it to us. And it should be relaxing. It’s alright, isn’t it?] She had turned slightly fretful, wondering if her partner wouldn’t agree to it. At the same time, she would much rather he be happy with the decision that was made, and always wanted to keep his opinion in mind.

“Fera…” Dritz said, his antennae conveying his surprise in a high arc, “That’s very nice of you.”

He considered protesting, but it also felt rude to dismiss a gracious form of apology. Dritz’s parents had always taught him to not take anything for granted, but also to appreciate generosity when it was given, and it was clearly being given in this moment.

Plus Vela was adorably eager, he could tell.

“Alright. That’d be great. Thanks, I know we’ll have a great time.” And perhaps it would be a chance to further whatever friendship they might be cultivating.

“Of course,” Fera replied, a satisfied smirk taking over his expression. It was really too easy to get them to agree with his wishes. While it would have been even easier to just ask them outright… for now he didn’t care.

He glanced casually at the viewscreen, his smirk just getting bigger. “And as you can see, we are already arriving. It’s a small planet, simply called 'Paradise’ by anyone who knows it exists. But you could never even dream of the luxury you can experience there.” Despite how smug he was, he genuinely had also wanted to take Orion to this exact location. He had never felt this way about anyone before, but he had a strong desire to take his partner somewhere he could relax and enjoy himself.

Vela barely heard what the Coronal was saying as she stared at the screen. The planet would have been a tiny dot among the distant stars, and yet… it was glowing so much more brightly than they were. As they approached, that glow only grew brighter, and she had trouble actually figuring out what color it was. It seemed pink… or orange? Yellow?

[Is the light changing?] she signed absently to Dritz. [Why does it look like that?] Though she hadn’t seen as many planets as others, none of them had looked even remotely like this.

Dritz managed to divide his attention between Fera and the planet fairly well, at least he thought so. Of course it made sense for the prince to be aware of some sort of bright, overpriced, exclusive world like this, but also…

Vela. She would love it so much, and Dritz would never have known about it if it weren’t for Fera, nor would he have been able to fund such a luxury. He owed him something. A heartfelt thanks at the very least, when he was able to get him alone.

The planet’s mysterious illumination baffled him too, however.

“I dunno, flower, to be honest. My guess would be something to do with debris or gases in the atmosphere, but that doesn’t seem quite right.”

Vela contemplated Dritz’s idea as they continued to approach the planet, but upon coming close enough for communications, it became obvious that the glow was due to the sheer amount of light somehow coming from it. Was it somehow being projected, or was it truly so bright on the surface…?

When the comms screen flickered on, she was further surprised to see a light-haired human male appear to greet them. Her surprise was mainly due to not having seen many of his species so far, not even on Hesperus. She was in somewhat of a daze as he talked, seeming to recognize Fera, and easily admitting them clearance and access to a dock despite how unusual the Nova must surely appear. Vela really did not even register much of what he said beyond the landing coordinates, and she entered them quickly and navigated the ship to land with her usual precision and skill despite anything else.

She was further awed when they left the dock, carrying only a few personal bags with them for now (except for Fera, who had Orion carrying several more for him.) What appeared to be a city spreading out before them was enough to make her stop and stare, mainly because of how all the relatively low buildings were lit. The bright colors she had seen from space were not harsh on her vision here on the surface, so she guessed the light there had been due to the planet likely being covered in lights such as these. The glow of the electrical strips and panels illuminated the beings who walked around enjoying the warm temperature and pink-tinged sky, many of them dressed in very little clothing as well.

Without realizing it, Vela had completely halted to stare around her, finding it all so strange and different than anything she could have imagined previously, but also completely wonderful.

Despite his theories being, he thought, sound enough, Dritz was incredibly surprised to see that the planet was almost emitting the light itself. It was so odd, but so beautiful. The glow seemed to be made up of every warm colour in the spectrum, in turn making the viewer feel that warmth.

Even the comms greeter was warm in colouring.

Upon setting foot there, Dritz was transfixed at all of the beautiful lighting, warmth, and scents of the city. Most big cities he’d experienced smelled of damp cement and ash, with a hint of smoke; food, narcotics, pollution, but this one was all fresh flowers, light spice, and sweetness. He couldn’t hide his wide smile as he roamed alongside them.

“This is incredible,” he muttered. “But where do we go?”

Fera sighed as if slightly put out, beginning to lead the way since everyone else was so awestruck. Even Orion, though it shouldn’t have been a surprise to the prince. His lover had never visited a place so exclusive, not being royal or wealthy.

There was no need to board any of the transportation, as the best rooms could be found within a very short distance from the docks. It was actually the highest building in the area, with a total of ten stories, if Fera’s memory was accurate. He swept inside with the others trailing behind him as though they were lost, putting a smirk on his face. They really would be lost without him there.

“Prince Fera,” gasped the attendant behind the richly carved desk just inside, also a human. “And you have guests! Marvelous. I know just what rooms you need.” The prince had been here with various other consorts in the past, though he wouldn’t bring that up in present company. They were assigned two rooms, and Fera already knew that he and Orion would be staying in his particular favorite, decorated in all in soft white and gold as though it was made specifically for the taste of a Coronal royal. Considering this planet, perhaps it really had been.

He had no interest in where Dritz and Vela would be staying, only handing them their keycard with a nonchalant shrug. “We’ll meet back here in half an hour,” he said, eager to show his room to Orion and all but dragging the surprised man away.

Vela glanced at Dritz with a little smile, still bewildered but completely fine with being left alone for now. She peered at the keycard to see it read '103.’ It took some help from the Chrysalan, but they managed to find this room down one of the branching hallways and opened the door to walk inside.

Once again Vela stared, unused to seeing a room such as this. It appeared nearly as large as the Nova’s entire interior, though she might have misjudged it. Either way, it was enormous and contained a bed that would likely fit four people in total, and other furniture of a clean, modern style draped in many exotic-looking furs. To her surprise, there was also an impressive bath, though not as large as what Fera seemed to be promising elsewhere, but still enough to hold herself and Dritz with room left to spare.

The colors of the room were pale and muted, but this was hard to tell since it was also decorated and illuminated by glowing neon strips which ran along part of the walls and furniture, and even around the bath. They all looked as though they could be switched off independently, but Vela was not bothered by them; the light they put out was much fainter than anything outside. It felt warm and pleasant, and she finally turned to Dritz to sign, [Have you ever seen such a room before?] It was probably a silly question, but while she was still overwhelmed, it was all she could ask.

Dritz stood beside Vela, equally awestruck by the stunning room they found themselves in. Enormous and bathed in pastel shades of blue, pink, and purple, it was fit for royalty. Of course, since Fera had secured the rooms, then it was highly likely they were made for royals.

He couldn’t resist striding in and turning, arms outstretched. Even the biggest indoor area on Chrysala was almost always closely furnished, one would never be able to throw one’s arms out and spin in this way.

“Never. This is possibly the biggest room for this kinda purpose I’ve ever seen! I mean, assembly chambers and stuff are big, but this is just a bedroom! And, I guess, a bathroom at the same time,” he laughed, bounding over to the bath and examining the lights surrounding it. He bent over it, tipping his head upside down in an amusing way. After a second of investigation, there was a soft swish noise and the lights began to bleed into different colours, slowly and elegantly.

“Whoa, we have got to have a long bath later,” he said excitedly, looking up at her.

Watching Dritz with a touch of amusement, Vela couldn’t help but then follow him and peer at the bath as well, nodding an enthusiastic agreement. Wherever there was water she could submerge herself in, she wanted to be there; even better if her partner could join her.

Just the thought of it made her relax, and she moved from the bath to place the bags she was carrying at the foot of the bed. With a glance back at Dritz, she climbed onto the bed and stretched herself out on the pale pink fabric. Of course, the lights all around made it turn into a pale blue shortly after. There was so much room that she could also hold her arms out and still have plenty to spare. While there was much to be said for a small, cozy resting place, this was an experience she would certainly not turn away from.

[We will have to spend a lot of time here too,] she signed playfully, beckoning for him to join her. They had a little time left, didn’t they?

Dritz couldn’t help but continue to fiddle with the bath lights, discovering that one could set the colours, pulse length, how long each colour held, and even music to accompany one’s bath. Okay, he wanted one.

When he looked up to see what Vela was up to, his eyes widened a fraction, his antennae undulating curiously. He straightened up and strode over, smiling flirtatiously.

[Yes, I think that would be important], he signed. “Maybe if I-” he clambered up to her, leaning over her, “Pick you up straight after a bath, with you still naked and warm-” he kissed her, “And lay you on here, surrounded by all the pillows… Then make love to you all night… Would that be something you might have in mind for our time?”

Vela could feel herself melting with happiness at Dritz’s words and kiss. Easily aroused as usual, she was quick to reach for him and pull him closer, bringing their lips together again with more passion.

“Yes,” she replied aloud, a word she had practiced more than others, breathing it more as a soft sigh this time. Her hands came up to tug at his clothing, thinking maybe they could start now, except…

Releasing Dritz, she sighed again in a much more disappointed way. [It will have to be tonight. We were supposed to meet the others again soon… I think they will be waiting now.]


	37. Bonus Hot Springs Episode [1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding themselves on a sudden vacation, the group makes the most of it.

It was difficult to leave the bed and the wonderful room, but once they had done so, Vela was again entranced by the planet in general. She wanted to explore all of it with just Dritz, but as guests she supposed she would have to stay with everyone. Her only actual concern was Fera, who had changed into a beautiful white gown that was incredibly sheer in some areas. Most areas, the longer she looked at it.

“The three of you,” he was saying with a disapproving glare at herself, Dritz and Orion, “look horrible. No offense. But you can’t dress the way you do on this planet. Don’t you have anything a little more… relaxed? Or remotely beautiful at all?”

He gestured at the passersby, who all just looked incredibly wealthy to Vela, in rich fabrics with revealing designs. She shook her head, looking at Dritz, but Fera just made a frustrated noise.

“Alright. We’ll go shopping. And that’s on me as well, don’t worry.” Vela found she didn’t want to turn down the offer, instead turning to Dritz again for his thoughts.

Hearing Vela speak was such a beautiful, rare thing that, in that situation, it aroused him. The realisation that they would have to leave hit him as she pulled away. He nuzzled against her with a huffy sigh.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he groaned. “Fera will definitely have an opinion if we end up arriving late.”

He rolled off the bed and the two of them made their way downstairs to the lobby. Fera seemed to have an endless stream of absolutely picturesque gowns and outfits, and was wearing something just as gorgeous as always. If a little… Wow. See through. Dritz kept his eyes firmly on Fera’s face.

“That’s… Actually a real kind offer, Prince Fera, thanks!” Dritz said with a grin. “Maybe a bit… more conservative for me, personally.”

Unlike Dritz, Orion had let his gaze freely wander over Fera as long as possible. It wasn’t like he had anything intimate on display, and it seemed as though passersby were not staring at him either. Dressing in this way was, apparently, entirely acceptable on this planet.

“I agree with Dritz,” he chuckled, glancing sheepishly at the Chrysalan. “I’m not sure I want to wear anything too… showy. There are some of us who can’t pull off your elegance, y'know.”

Fera scowled at them both, turning to walk away while complaining about how dull they were. Vela lagged a few steps behind as they followed, distracted by looking at the outfits other people wore and wondering which sort she might like. It was just so… unusual to her to see anyone wearing so little fabric. Maybe she could try it too?

[Do you think I could wear that?] She had tugged on Dritz’s sleeve before pointing at a woman who only wore a band of cloth around her upper chest and a separate piece around her waist. Vela had to wonder if she would feel self conscious in such an outfit.

Dritz laughed as they followed Fera, “C'mon, Fera, you wouldn’t want either of us stealing all the attention either. Ori is right, neither of us have the aesthetic.” He gestured to a gentleman who was somehow visibly wealthy, and roughly of a similar build to himself, wearing a long loosely open robe over shorts that were somehow elegant. It was quite the statement. “I think something like that is maybe more my speed.”

He soon turned his attention to his flower, lagging a short distance behind them. He followed her gaze and immediately turned back, not hiding his enthusiasm in the slightest, “Absolutely. You could wear that in a heartbeat. And should. You should wear that. Let’s get you that. As soon as possible. Yes. Definitely.”

Fera snorted softly to himself as he contemplated the two of them in anything similar to what he might wear himself. No, that would not work. And it wasn’t as though he would try to dress them in any way which would draw more attention to them, in the first place. But they were still dull.

He glanced back, unable to keep from hearing the conversation between Dritz and the Vela. Such as it was, anyway. With a slight glower he looked at the woman they had been discussing. He had to begrudgingly admit that she would probably look good in such clothing. Not that he would try to recommend anything to her, out of plain dislike.

There was a particular shop he knew of, run by a Temeron gentleman with powder blue skin, four arms, and a flamboyant fashion sense of his own. They were greeted here warmly and told to look around at whatever they liked, while the shopkeeper gestured dramatically with one pair of arms and tidied folded clothing with the other.

“I see nothing wrong with the outfit you might choose for yourself,” he told Dritz airily. “Feel free to choose your own colors as well.” He pulled Orion off separately, already with a vision of what he would need.

Vela was a little bewildered at being left alone and stayed close to Dritz. Luckily, there were many of the type of garment she had seen on the woman being sold here. There was one design, in flowered fabric with no straps, which particularly called to her. [Which color?] she signed to her partner hesitantly, unable to see any that were very dark. [And are you sure I can wear this…?]

The store they were led to was unlike any Dritz had come across before. Even in huge cities, he hadn’t ever seen so much beautiful, flamboyant garments that somehow also had so little fabric. There were robes and wraps like Fera’s; barely there and elegant, some dripping with jewellery or with gemstones stitched into the hemlines, some with detailed lace. There were avant garde one piece outfits with revealing slashes in sensual, dark textures, fun and flashy two piece garments with unique patterns. Dritz was blown away by the colour and creativity, wondering how his people ever used to do without such bright and often times impractical fashion. He liked his work clothing, he did, but no one ever expressed themselves with plain, durable jumpsuits.

He followed Vela over to the band of fabric she was looking at, part of one of the prettiest two-pieces. Looking at the selection of colours, he was immediately drawn to one that seemed to shift from sunny pastel yellow to sky blue depending on where one stood. The fabric was subtly shimmering, never garish, nor did it diminish the delicate flower pattern.

“This one. You’ll look so sexy. Especially sexy. So yeah, I’m definitely sure,” he grinned exaggeratedly.

Vela stared at the garment Dritz had chosen, moving it just slightly to watch the colors of the fabric shift in a way she found almost miraculous. How were such wondrous garments even dreamed of? She would never have imagined this while living on Aurctas.

[Alright,] she signed, though her motions were hesitant. [It’s pretty. How do I know if it fits me?]

“Oh, how lovely- Yes, you want to wear that immediately, don’t you?” The shopkeeper had approached from seemingly nowhere, perhaps having sensed an imminent sale. He scanned Vela up and down, his third hand on one hip. “Yes, it’s just right for you. And here is your size.” He handed the bewildered Aurian one of the garment sets from the pile; how he knew what would fit her was definitely a mystery in her mind. “Go on, the dressing rooms are right here, please put it on and see how much more beautiful you feel!” And he had darted away again, leaving Vela to give Dritz a little bemused smile as she did as instructed.

It took some time for her to figure out how the garment would stay on her body. The subtly hidden hooks in the back were a new concept to her, but eventually she had dressed in both halves of the outfit and glanced at herself in the room’s mirror with some surprise. She had known how much of her body would be showing, but seeing it worried her a little. The garment was nice, but she did feel a bit awkward…

As she left the dressing room, it surprised her to see Fera there along with Dritz. She froze in place a moment, then realized he was assessing what she was wearing, for whatever reason. With a little frown, he began rummaging in a rack of clothing near him, pulling out a length of fabric in pale blue. It surprised her so much when he tossed it at her that she could only stare at it for a time.

The fabric was sheer, and there wasn’t all that much to it. However, it didn’t take her long to figure out that it could be wrapped around her waist, acting as a sort of skirt but not hiding the pretty fabric of the bottom half of her outfit. It left her feeling more secure than before. She looked up in an intention to thank the prince, but now it was only Dritz standing there again.

[Is it alright?] she signed to him, beginning to smile as she realized the answer from the look on his face.

Dritz couldn’t help smirking at the Temeron encouraging Vela, almost ushering her into the changing room before she had a chance to protest.

He was browsing the longer shorts and loose shirts when he heard the changing room open again, and he turned immediately to see Vela in the bikini. It took him a good few seconds to close his mouth, and even longer to stop staring in awe. The shifting fabric complimented her pale complexion so beautifully, and her lithe, toned body was perfectly shaped for the style she’d chosen. Dritz’s face was quite flushed by the time he managed to say, “You look… amazing.”

The only thing that initially put him off the outfit was her obvious lack of confidence in being so exposed, but when Fera threw her the… Pretty see-through skirt thingy, there was no longer a negative to the choice.

Plus, it was see-through.

“Really amazing,” he added with an unashamed look up and down her figure. “Like… Really. Really.”

[Really?] she signed back, playfully teasing. [Thank you. It feels so… different. But I think I like it.] The addition of the skirt had taken away most of her timid feelings regarding being so undressed, or at least it helped. Dritz obviously enjoyed what he was seeing, and that made her more confident as well.

Abruptly she remembered the clothes she had been wearing before, hurrying back into the room to pick them up off the floor. She folded them as neatly as possible, carrying them out and tucking them under one arm in order to sign to Dritz. [I’m glad you think I look good. Were you going to choose anything?] Would he wear an outfit that showed more of his body as well? The thought pleased her, and she began to realize exactly how he must feel when looking at her own outfit.

Dritz nodded, though he was very visibly still distracted by her outfit. “I sure am, it seems like the thing to do. I’d hate to be left out!” he laughed.

It took him almost no time at all to find something he enjoyed. It had been a while since he’d done any clothes shopping, and he’d honed in on a pair of shorts almost the moment they set foot in the shop. They were slightly longer, and looked like they might be of a flattering fit, in bright greens and blues somehow muted by the refined pattern. They were definitely bright enough for him, but elegant enough to be available in a place like that. The fabric was of the sort that would dry quickly after… swimming? If that was indeed what they were going to be doing, anyway (Dritz was still not sure of the specifics.) He also found a loose robe to use as a more modest cover up; darker blue and plain to compliment the shorts.

Normally Dritz would not be so concerned with covering himself up some, but it seemed like nearly every other resident of the planet preferred to, so it seemed appropriate.

Once everything was collected, taken to the changing room, and on (and so very comfortable), Dritz gave himself a final examine in the mirror before slipping out, “So… what do you think? Not a patch on the other folk I’ve seen, but I like it!”

Vela waited patiently for Dritz to reappear after he had chosen his clothing, without feeling the need to look around further. She couldn’t see Fera or Orion anywhere, at least, and wondered about that.

Her eye lit up once her lover came out of the changing room, and she looked him over closely. The shorts were pretty, and she thought the robe was nice, and yet… her focus seemed to fall on the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. It was a little distracting. Her gaze kept sliding down to admire her favorite aspect of his body…

[You look wonderful to me. Better than anyone else,] she signed without hesitation. She couldn’t help moving closer, then found herself slipping her arms around his waist under the robe to hug him. Being able to feel more of him even in public made her incredibly happy.

Dritz’s antennae flickered happily as he spotted immediately that she was very happy with his choice. He gladly pulled her to him, nuzzling into her silky hair.

“N'aww, you’re the best,” he said, squeezing her. He almost forgot that she was in a state of undress too, and felt a wave of warmth go through him at the sensation of their bare skin meeting. The resort was going to be frustrating, to say the least, if Vela was going to be dressed like this often, as well as press herself against him like that.

He cleared his throat, grinning cheekily, “We’d better try and find the other two. I think we’d get in trouble if I were to take you into the changing room right now like I wanna.” He winked at her.

It took Vela a few moments to realize what Dritz meant; did he want to try on more clothes? But the look in his eyes, as well as the wink…

[I wish we could,] she finally signed, a playful expression on her face. That evening, when they could be alone, seemed so far away. Maybe it would be better not to initiate too much contact with him until then. She was able to keep this resolution for all of a few seconds before reaching for his hand and keeping it tucked close to her side as they went in search of Fera and Orion.

As it turned out, they were waiting just outside the shop. Somehow Fera had worked out what they were purchasing and already paid the Temeron, or maybe there was some other method which Vela was unaware of. Regardless, for whatever reason he did not seem too happy, glancing at her quickly and then away. Orion appeared very relaxed now in a pair of shorts which weren’t as long as those Dritz had chosen, but he also wasn’t wearing any form of top. Vela looked him over briefly, but other than the complex pattern of the shorts, she didn’t see much to be interested in. She really had meant it when she said Dritz looked the best to her.

“Hey- whoa. Look at you two.” Orion was grinning widely, and Vela offered back a modest smile. “Dritz, you look great, and Vela… you ever thought about modeling?”

The Aurian had no idea what this meant, turning to Dritz with a puzzled frown. However, Fera spoke up angrily before he could reply. “Where do you want to go? It’s too early to stay in, or for dining. We could visit one of the private springs…”

[Does he mean water?] Vela forgot everything else to sign eagerly. [Can we go?]

For a brief moment, Dritz had wondered if Vela was rejecting he idea of a stolen moment together, but of course, she had simply taken a moment to catch the meaning; he’d never known her to not be in the mood when he asked…

He kept her close as they left the shop, catching a glimpse of Fera leaving a few moments before they left. He didn’t seem in the best mood, but Dritz supposed he had been planning to be there with Orion alone.

Speaking of, Dritz beamed when they met up.

“Looking good, Ori,” he returned, proudly putting an arm around Vela’s shoulders at the mention of modelling. She’d be popular on a lot of planets, he was certain. But her puzzled expression suggested that Aurctas perhaps had no concept of modelling, which made sense. He resolved to explain it later… Maybe with a first hand look at her modelling itself.

“Yes! I am looking forward to the springs, actually. Are they the steamy kind?” He glanced at Vela, “I think we wanna visit the warmest we can!”

“Yes, yes,” Fera sighed, waving a hand dismissively. Not only was he irritated that Dritz and the Vela were around, with her getting attention for her outfit, but also he was admittedly annoyed because he had not been able to get Orion to dress in anything more… extravagant than what he had chosen. “They’re all rather hot, I believe. And we can even get private springs, so we needn’t all stay together.”

This was the only small comfort he had at the moment. It was also what he kept his mind focused on as he brought them to the area where the springs were located- a sprawling complex of buildings with many different sections that separated the vast amount of natural springs this planet contained. He marched straight up to the desk in the lobby, where a nervous-looking human female watched them approach with some alarm.

“Two,” the prince said, his tone crisp as he frowned down at the attendant.

“Oh… good afternoon, sir!” the human squeaked, gesturing to the computer on the desk in front of her. “I apologize for this inconvenience, but we… we only have one of the springs available right now, and only for the next hour. A very large group from Coralis just arrived the other day, and they aren’t leaving until next week and have taken up almost every available-”

“What?” Fera snapped angrily. “That can’t be possible. We need two.”

“Hey,” Orion cut in, looking about as worried as the attendant did. “We can all use one. Can’t we? It’s not so bad. We’re here together, so why not? What do you think, Dritz?”

[I’m not sure,] Vela was adding her own input before anything else, [but I really do want to go, if it’s the only chance we have…]

Something was definitely wrong with Fera. He was being sharper than usual. Which… Definitely was saying something. Maybe Dritz could pull him to one side to check on him later… They were at least slightly friends.

However, Fera seemed less than friendly when they were made aware of the restrictions in the spring availability. Truth be told, Dritz was just as miffed, if more quietly so. He had been looking forward to reveling in Vela’s innocent contentment. She had such a genuine love for the water that it was a joy to watch, and even more so when it was warm.

“Oh… Well… We are all friends. I appreciate we were looking forward to some quiet, uh, coupley time, but this could be fun too. This is the very reason you brought us, right, your Highness?” Dritz ventured, looking sheepish. He quickly turned to Vela and signed, speedily and sloppily, back, [I’m sorry sorry. I will made it up to you later, we will share bath. Love you.]

[It’s fine,] Vela replied with a smile. [We will have our time later. I love you too.] They would have a more than enjoyable evening together, and if she was being honest, she just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience the naturally heated water, no matter who else would be there with them.

It also didn’t escape Orion’s notice that Fera seemed somewhat unhappy with the situation. Sure, it was a little discouraging, but it wasn’t that bad, was it? Still, he tried to understand as the attendant gave the prince the details of their spring and he led them off through the maze of corridors, seeming to know exactly where to go.

The scruffy mechanic slipped an arm around Fera’s waist as they walked, leaning closer so the others wouldn’t hear. “Hey, I’m sorry too. But I get the feeling we’ll have plenty of time to spend alone in the future. You need to get along better with these two, they’re our way of getting around until you have a ship again.” Of course this wasn’t all he would say, but leaned even closer to murmur, “And I kind of like being the one in a group with the most beautiful partner. Though it’s getting pretty tough not to have my hands all over you.” Fera only smirked just slightly, enough that Orion could tell, and held his head a bit higher. He must be feeling at least a little better.

When they reached the enclosed area that held the spring, Vela felt as though she couldn’t move as she stopped to stare at it. It did look entirely natural, like a pool of water surrounded by rocks, but there was actually steam rising from it. There were a few chairs and tables scattered around, along with piles of soft towels stacked in convenient locations, but she really didn’t want to look at much else except the spring.

Tearing her gaze away for a moment, she signed to Dritz, [Can I just get in with these clothes on? Or do I need to take them off…?] She was so desperate to experience the water that she thought it wouldn’t be so bad if she had to do so naked, like in a regular bath.

Seeing Orion and Fera getting a bit closer, Dritz felt more comfortable pulling Vela closer. The other two just evidently weren’t so public as Dritz and Vela liked to be. He thought idly that it could be due to Fera’s royal blood, perhaps Coronal were not approving of displays of affection. Dritz had always been a fan, even when he personally hadn’t anyone to display with, it was always cute to see.

The spring was unlike anything else Dritz had ever seen, and he liked to consider himself at least fairly well travelled. He’d seen natural springs, but most that he’d been aware of were silty or muddy, and cold, natural points for beautiful swamp plants to thrive but not anywhere one would associate with luxury bathing. Even the surrounding rocks were clean and almost uniform, while obviously being natural. It was as though the spring itself held the same high standards of the resort.

In response to Vela, Dritz laughed heartily, shaking his head, “Some kinds are for being naked, but I think given the circumstances, we’ll keep these on. After all, Fera was kind enough to buy them for us, and they’re looking good.”

Much as he would very much like Vela naked in the warm spring.

Still uncertain, Vela nodded. It made sense that some clothes were made for wearing in the water. At least, she thought they must be. Societies had different levels of modesty as a whole, from what she had read.

Unable to wait any longer, she approached the spring’s edge after removing the wrap from around her waist and placing it in a dry location; it hardly seemed to practical to wear that, anyway. She glanced back for a moment to see Dritz watching her, and Fera and Orion farther away, standing next to some chairs and not even looking in her direction, but instead conversing with each other. With a smile for Dritz, she slowly began to step into the water.

It wasn’t long before she felt somewhat overwhelmed. The immediate warm sensation of the water against her skin was intensely enjoyable, so much so that she had to stop when it had only reached her knees. She was not even fully in the water yet, but seemed unable to move as she signed to her partner. [This is incredible. It’s warmer than we usually have our showers. I don’t know how I lived without this.] Her expression was blissful as she glanced around her, now afraid to move deeper because she thought she might never want to leave.

Dritz watched Vela enter the water, wanting her to experience it fully before he joined her. The problem was, though, that he desperately wished to join her. He was torn between wanting her to take her time and enjoy the new sensation of far hotter water than before, in such a huge spring, but at the same time he wanted to flop in and pull her to the corner so they could cuddle.

“You like it huh?” he beamed, though it was quite obvious. He stepped in after her, keeping a small distance away to let her experience the space. “You gotta get right in here though, flower,” he encouraged, moving towards the deeper parts until deliciously hot water was beginning to lap at his belly, making his antennae stick up happily. It was definitely warmer, as she had said. He held his arms out, tempting her with the promise of an embrace.

Nodding, Vela turned her head to watch Dritz enter the spring. For a few moments she was able to forget her uncertainly about moving from where she already was, and focused on him instead. And when he held his arms out to her…

Carefully, she began to make her way toward him. The water dragged at her, but not in a way that was frightening or bad at all. If anything, she wanted to be able swim through it and stay as long as possible. All thoughts of having to force herself to leave were forgotten for now as she continued putting one foot in front of the other. It was still so odd, actually walking through water, and yet so delightful.

Just short of reaching Dritz, she opened her arms as well, slightly falling into his embrace and squeezing him tightly. While she had found the water enjoyable before, now that she was pressed against him, she felt it was even better. [It’s so wonderful,] she leaned back to sign, her expression one of pure amazement and joy. [Do we have to do anything else? Or can we just… stay here?] She was hoping it was like a bath, where one could stay a good amount of time without any other expectations.

Dritz couldn’t resist widening his stance when he caught her, dipping them deeper into the water. From Vela’s expression he could tell she hadn’t really experienced water in that way before, which struck him as odd but obviously made sense. He himself hadn’t had much experience either.

“We can stay as long as you like, flower,” he said brightly. He clung to her and spun them in slow circles in the water, pushing off and letting the momentum rotate them gently. “I’m glad you like it so much.”

He beamed and backed off from her, far enough for them both to need to reach out, “Hey, I got something fun to show you. Tuck your legs up so you’re floating!”

Once she got used to the sensation, he pulled her towards him through the water, pulling her into a kiss.

Being told they could stay a good length of time satisfied Vela, who was quick to attempt anything Dritz might suggest. All of it delighted and somehow relaxed her, especially when he showed her a little about how to float. She was happily drawn into the kiss, clinging to him tightly in exhilaration.

She took a quick glance over her shoulder as Dritz continued to help pull her around slowly, noticing that Fera and Orion had still not even approached the spring. Perhaps they were being given privacy for the time being? She was grateful for that, no matter what the reason.

[Have you ever been in a spring like this?] she questioned abruptly, curious. [Or… does Chrysala have them? I didn’t look that up specifically, I would not have thought of it at the time.] Unable to help herself, she reached out for him again, pressing close and resting her head against his shoulder as he replied, feeling the most blissful she possibly ever had in her life.

Dritz chirped softly with amusement as he pulled Vela around the spring, finding a place where the water nearly came as high as his shoulders. It was so warm, and Vela was so happy, he couldn’t think of anything more perfect right then.

“Chrysala kiiind of has something similar, but not nearly as nice. There are steam spas, which are nice and warm, but they’re mostly a beauty treatment, and only really a recent thing as stuff like luxury, fashion and beauty has become a bigger part of life there. But I think it’s only a matter of time before they pop up some hot springs in random places,” Dritz rambled, happily squeezing Vela close. “Is your eye okay, I didn’t get any water on it?”

[That sounds nice too,] Vela signed thoughtfully, wondering what it would feel like to be surrounded by steam. Obviously she would have to try this the next time they were on Chrysala.

She felt unable to stop cuddling with Dritz in the water, and didn’t reply to him again right away. Finally she shook her head as she leaned back. [No, I don’t think so. I can’t wait until you can make the modifications… Maybe we can find a way to waterproof it as well. I would like to go under the water or even… swim.] The idea of being able to swim was somehow very compelling, even without being familiar with water at any point during the rest of her life.

Orion’s approach went unnoticed by Vela, being so intent on imagining what it might feel like to move with absolute freedom through the water. She startled a little to turn and see him there, though he was still remaining at a respectable distance, with a rather sheepish expression on his face.

“Hey. Uh… sorry about the sharing thing, again. But hanging out with all of us, as friends.. I do like the sound of that too. So are you enjoying the spring? It looks like it. I’m not sure yet if Fera is wanting to get in…” He cast a dubious look back in the prince’s direction. Vela wasn’t going to say anything, but she wondered if he was very mad about having to spend time all together.

The thought of completing the modification to Vela’s mechanical eye did frighten him sometimes. When he was thinking clearly and the notion came to him, it was exciting to think of giving her more freedom with it, he was completely confident in his abilities and certain he would do a great job. When he thought of all that could go wrong, however, an anxiousness took over. What if he messed it up and Vela was so angry and heartbroken that…

He hugged her tighter for a moment.

“Once we’re able, we’ll go looking for the parts we’ll need. I should examine its capabilities beforehand though, so I know what I’m changing,” he said idly, contemplating what basic components he would need were this anything but his love’s very delicate face.

He offered Orion a grin as he made himself known.

“This place is great, I think we’ll have a hard time leaving,” he chuckled, winking, “Everything okay with you?”

“Everything’s okay with me, yes,” Orion sighed, glancing at Fera again. The prince had arranged himself elegantly on one of the lounge chairs near the edge of the spring, seeming to be inspecting his fingernails with a frown on his beautiful face. “I’m not sure about him. He won’t tell me anything, either…”

Not wanting to dwell on it too long, he turned back and smiled at Dritz and Vela. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It is really nice. I guess Earth used to have springs like this, but… heh, you know what a lot of humans were like in the past. Or, if you don’t, then I can say they ruined way too much on Earth before they got smarter about it. I don’t think these exist there anymore. And again, never having been to my own home planet myself…”

He trailed off, though he was smiling good naturedly. All of that was in the distant past anyway. “These springs aren’t meant for swimming as such, but it just made me wonder if either of you actually can. Although I guess… I know Vela can’t.” It was all he could do not to chuckle, wondering why the Aurian looked so forlorn about her lack of swimming skills as she shook her head.

Dritz glanced over at Fera, observing him for a long moment. He was such a difficult person to be fond of, and he’d been so unkind to Vela, which he would not forgive, but he found he was still kind of fond of the prince. He clearly required a lot of effort to like, and Dritz was willing to try.

He smiled warmly, just in case Fera happened to look up, he might at least realise that he was thought about.

Turning back to Orion, Dritz’s antennae were curling back down sadly.

“That’s so terrible. I was aware that very early Earth humans had made a lot of mistakes, but I had no idea it was so devastating. I’m sorry, Ori. Maybe one day there will be a big turnaround and you will be able to enjoy springs on your home planet, should you ever wanna visit…” he said softly, stroking Vela’s back idly as he did.

Fera’s eyes flicked briefly upward, just in time to see Dritz smiling at him. He only frowned, wondering if they were all talking about him. And why shouldn’t they be? He was the most important one there. Fortunately, the Vela wasn’t doing any signing. Who knew if the water negated her powers? He pondered over this as he resumed inspecting his perfectly flawless nails.

There was no chance he was getting in the spring with her there.

Orion sighed, but smiled as he shook his head. “Maybe. I haven’t felt a real strong urge to visit yet. If I was ambitious enough, I’d go back like some humans do and try to help fix things. But… I dunno, I just feel more like I belong in a starship than anywhere else.”

He edged closer to Dritz and Vela, lowering his voice more. “Listen… I know this is an awkward request, but can you please ask Fera to join us? I just want him to enjoy himself here and I’ve asked… multiple times. Maybe if he sees you’re earnest enough… I mean, if you want to. And of course, Dritz should probably try by himself.” He gave Vela an apologetic look, but she seemed disinterested, instead only moving her hand through the water and watching the way it flowed around her.

Dritz nodded. It made a lot of sense for Orion to have that sense of adventure. It was what had gotten humans off of their planet in the first place, at least as far as he was aware. That, and the terrible state the planet ended up in for a long time. Again, as far as he was aware. He wasn’t great with other planets’ history, especially not Earth’s. It was too far away, and space too large for it to be a topic covered during schooling.

“I think starships need you just as much as Earth needs other humans,” Dritz offered cheerily. He pretended to inspect the water as Orion spoke, nodding and playing off what was being asked. “Of course,” he muttered. He let himself drift a little in the water, idling and telling Orion and Vela about how little his education covered other planets, now that he thought about it, in an attempt to stall asking Fera, so that it wouldn’t look suspicious.

After a few more minutes, Dritz waded to the edge of the spring and rested his arms on the side, smiling. “Hey, Your Highness… aren’t you coming in? It’s really nice, and you should enjoy it, since you showed us here!” he pleaded, looking just forlorn enough. “Grace us with your presence!”


	38. Bonus Hot Springs Episode [2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thrilling conclusion at the springs!

Fera had been thinking about everything he would enjoy doing with Orion… eventually… when Dritz approached. The prince’s gaze slid from his nails to the Chrysalan’s face, which he currently felt himself annoyed by when put together with the odd things he was saying.

“I’m certain it’s lovely,” he replied, tone rather sarcastic. “But I’m also certain you don’t want to be graced with my presence. You all were very uncomplimentary earlier when I turned your decrepit ship to this planet in the first place. And even if I’m the one who got you here when you wouldn’t have been able to visit otherwise, I’m not about to forget. You could have treated me much more nicely. Besides…” He paused, eyes flicking briefly in the direction of the Vela, “I don’t think everyone would even want me to join in.”

Despite what he had thought earlier, he really was tempted. Even so, he felt a strong need to be stubborn and not make everything so easy. Especially not when he had to suffer through the presence of others, when all he had really wanted was a lovely time with his incredibly handsome human.

Dritz looked slightly hurt, but could see Fera’s thought process.

“Prince Fera,” he sighed, “Words were exchanged on both sides. You are rude about our ship, you’ve been rude to the one I love. Of course there was going to be tension.” He rested his head on one hand, propping himself up by the cheek, which squished comically against his palm. “I just really want us all to be friends,” he said sincerely. It was quite the admission, considering. He hoped desperately that his flower wouldn’t see it as anything against her. Fera’s bad points seemed to outweigh the good at the moment, but Dritz had seen a kindly side, one that was genuinely sort of… Sweet. The way he had helped Dritz with his clothing selection when they were alone had been respectful when he could have easily been spiteful or mean about Dritz’s size (the Chrysalan understood that larger bodies were supposedly a bad thing in some alien cultures… Or at least he tried to understand that.)

“I mean… I definitely want to be friends…” He thought aloud.

Fera huffed quietly as Dritz explained to him, not enjoying being told he had done anything wrong. “Oh, and how am I supposed to know how everyone wants to be treated at any given time? It seems like all anyone ever does is complain about what I choose to say. I’m…”

He trailed off, frowning to himself as he stared toward the back of Orion’s head. The human, his chosen lover, was the one who explained situations to the prince most frequently. He always seemed to think Fera should choose his words more delicately, but it was so difficult to understand. On Coronus he was free to say whatever he wanted, about anyone. But then, no one aside from his parents could respond back. If he could understand it, he might have seen that he frequently lashed out due to anger from his own situation, and no one else he came in contact with really appreciated such behavior. He was barely on the edge of grasping this idea, unfortunately.

Orion was apparently trying to talk with the Vela, who was seemingly much more interested in the water. It really must be ruining her strange powers. “I’ve never had friends,” Fera continued abruptly, turning his attention back to Dritz. “I have yet to see the benefit.” With a shrug and much eye rolling, showing he obviously couldn’t care less, he stood and sauntered toward the edge of the spring, daintily stepping in and proceeding until the water was just barely hitting his chest. Then he stopped, frowning at the others.

“This water,” he announced loudly, “is cold.”

Dritz smiled gratefully when Fera finally stood.

“Hey, now you do,” he shrugged, in response to the comment about not having friends. He wondered if Fera might have a heart to heart with him, or at least be open to the idea, later that evening.

However, he couldn’t help the confused, surprised look on his face when Fera declared the spring cold.

“You’re… You’re kidding, right?!” Dritz chirped. “It’s so warm! Just at the very top edge of comfortable, so it’s like… Hot and relaxing at the same time.” He looked at Fera with a bemused expression until something crossed his mind. There was something… Something he knew. About Coronus. Or Coronal in general? Were they cold blooded…? No, surely not. Very very hot blooded? Who knew. One of them was weird, at the very least.

Fera had glanced at Dritz sideways, pretending to pay no attention to what he had said. Friends? With them? Rather ridiculous. They were all acquaintances, aside from Orion… And the Vela was practically evil. What sort of friends could they possibly be?

He gave an exaggerated sigh when the Chrysalan failed to understand what he meant by the temperature of the water. Then he directed an unamused look at Orion, who seemed to want to explain on his behalf, and he was welcome to it.

“Oh right, sometimes even I forget… Coronus is a planet that’s really close to its sun. Almost too close, but not quite. But the Coronal evolved to handle such high temperatures. They have an interesting internal system that regulates their body and keeps it from getting too hot. At the same time, it keeps them from feeling too cold in a temperature that the rest of us will think is normal. Even with that, the water will still not feel all that great, huh? I’m sorry.”

“My fault for not thinking in advance,” Fera replied in irritation, not sounding like he was actually taking any blame. “This spring would have to be so much hotter to satisfy me. So this is a waste of time, isn’t it?” He directed his glare at Dritz, blaming him for being the one to get him into the water, obviously.

Dritz looked apologetic, with an undercurrent of alarm at the realisation. He didn’t want any of them to be uncomfortable, but given the temperature Fera probably would like the baths… it was best they found a middle ground, and maybe sooner rather than later. He just wanted there to be some sort of harmony between them all, given his aversion to any sort of confrontation. Were he honest, even Fera and his grumbling or huffing set him on edge a little.

He gave the prince a sad smile, “I’m sorry, I really didn’t know… but maybe there’s a way to increase the heat? I mean… I could probably stand it a little hotter.” He glanced over at Vela, signing at the same time as speaking, “How about you, what if we could make it warmer, you’d be okay?”

While he was certain he knew the answer already, he still wanted her input. He turned to Orion and smiled, “You wanna? I bet between us we can work out if there’s a way they regulate this. Even if it’s a natural spring, they might have some sort of machinery keeping it a level temperature, so are you up for trying to adjust it?”

Vela did not care in particular how Fera felt about the water, which was perfect in her eyes, but she readily agreed with Dritz that she would be fine with a slight temperature increase. She wondered if it was ever possible to feel too warm, and what that would be like; a truly curious thought to her.

Orion was mulling over the Chrysalan’s idea, running a hand across the stubble on his face thoughtfully. “Y'know, you’re probably right. I wouldn’t bother asking them, personally. I do love a challenge.” He grinned over at Fera. “If we get caught and kicked out, we might have to blame you.” The prince didn’t think much of this statement, though Orion believed they wouldn’t be caught at all. Plus he deserved it for acting so ungrateful when Dritz had such a kind thought for him.

It took a little searching, both inside the spring and out of it. There was no obvious control panel near the top of the water line, and Orion felt sure it would not be on the bottom of the spring for practical purposes. Sure enough, after a thorough search, a nearly invisible hatch opened under his touch along one of the outer rocks and revealed a small panel with maybe a dozen indicators and switches, none of them labeled, though the layout and parts used looked to be fairly common and recognizable to his eye.

“Wow, what’s a fake rock doing here?” he joked to Dritz, still studying the panel. “I guess even a natural spring needs a backup so rich patrons are never disappointed. What do you think, we got this?” He pointed out a few of the settings, thinking they might be the obvious choices. “But we should still be careful, I don’t really like the idea of turning the rest of us into soup.”

Dritz grinned brightly at the responses his suggestion received, from both Orion and Vela. Delighted that at least they liked the suggestion, he leapt into action at the same time as Orion, bobbing under the water to examine the sides, ignoring the bottom for the same reason Orion had noted.

When the pool itself didn’t turn anything up, he hauled himself out and helped the scruffy human look around the rocks and plants that surrounded the area. The one it had been concealed inside was very clearly an expensive system, it seemed to even be made out of stone, not just something cheap and fake to hide the workings.

“I reckon we’ve got this. There isn’t a dial, though… I suppose that’s just so random folk like us don’t mess with the settings. We’re about 90° right now… Shall we bump it up slowly to avoid the soup scenario?” he laughed.

“Sounds like a plan,” Orion replied, grinning back at Dritz. Between the two of them, they managed to nudge the temperature up what they thought would be a few degrees higher.

After a few idle minutes of chatting together, he turned back to the spring, where Fera and Vela were waiting. On opposite sides, of course. “Hey, how is it now?”

Vela signed something, of which Orion could only decipher the words “warm” and “good.” Fera gave her a critical stare before shrugging his shoulders with a slight huff. “It’s better. It’s not perfect. But I’m not about to make you turn it so high that I have to stay in here alone.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Orion replied with the slightest sigh. “But anyway, I’m glad it’s warmer for you now.” He walked back around to the edge of the spring, pausing for a moment to smile at the way Vela had outstretched her arms toward Dritz in a clear invitation to rejoin her.

Dritz and Orion had taken all of two minutes before they began chit-chatting about various mechanic techniques; particularly in relation to heating a spring that they clearly wished to advertise as natural. The Chrysalan had to admit, it was pretty niche as far as conversation went, and he felt ever so slightly guilty leaving out Vela and Fera, but thankfully his own lover seemed content to simply enjoy the water. Seeing her so pleased and relaxed made him happy.

He did not need any persuading to immediately plop back into the water. It was just about bordering on too hot for his species’ skin, but he decided he could easily tolerate a day of dry skin tomorrow in exchange for cuddling Vela close in what was likely a heavenly situation for her.

He pulled her to the edge where they were able to find a rough seat in the form of a shelf under the water. Sitting on it caused the water to sit just above the shoulders.

“Mmmm… This is pretty great, right?”

Admittedly, Vela had stopped listening to the conversation shortly after being questioned about the temperature of the water. It was such a wonderful feeling to experience that she even forgot Fera was in the same water she was.

Her mind drifted as she trailed one arm through the heat, feeling the resistance against her and marveling again that she was able to do this at all. The galaxy was a strange but wonderful place, and surely when she told her people of all they could have (most especially a consistent warm temperature and water to swim or bathe in), they could not help but agree to travel to a new home. How could they not?

She reached out for Dritz, smiling as he entered the water and pulled her to sit near the edge of the spring. Resisting the urge to sit on his lap, she did at least indulge in wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling close to him as she nodded happily. It was more than great.

Suddenly she was aware of Fera clearing his throat loudly, and turned to look at him in spite of herself. “Thank you,” he said, equally loud. “For the temperature.”

For a little while the area was completely silent. Vela really couldn’t believe Fera had said something so thoughtful and polite. Even Orion seemed a bit shocked, but soon enough he was grinning at his partner. “You’re welcome,” he chuckled, then pulled the Coronal into a kiss.

Vela stared before turning to Dritz with a quizzical expression. What did he make of all this?

Vela’s lean arms in the blue tinted, crystal clear water were mesmerising, normally so pale that her skin was nearly translucent, now flushed pleasantly with the warmth. She had looked so pretty like that, serene, and innocent in her enjoyment of the water. Dritz thought he could have looked at her all day, and when they were seated together, he thought he would dream of that image, combined with the feeling of warmth that came from their embrace.

Fera’s voice, louder than even usual, startled him back to reality, his antennae sticking straight up in surprise. He smiled warmly at the prince, however, and nodded, “Yeah! Very welcome. Enjoy!”

He turned to Vela while the two gents were distracted, and shrugged comically. “I’m as surprised as you,” he whispered.

For some reason, Fera felt embarrassed to be kissed in front of Dritz and the Vela. Thankfully, they seemed to not be watching when he glanced back toward them, then gave Orion a little frown. Of course he wanted the entire galaxy to see he belonged to someone. But at the same time…

It seemed the two couples were happy to spend time together and yet separately, on opposite sides of the spring. Vela was satisfied snuggling close to Dritz in the water, listening to him chat to her idly in a murmur that was pleasant and soothing. She enjoyed the way he still felt so soft to her as she ran a hand across his stomach, knowing that no one could see, and being in awe as she watched his skin gain just the faintest rosy hue above the water. The effects it had on bodies seemed interesting, almost a topic she would not mind researching. Water was fascinating to her in ways that so many others would take for granted.

[The hour must nearly be up,] she signed to him, already noting that Fera and Orion were beginning to stir at the other end. [I wish we could stay, but I don’t want you to get too warm, either.] Though reluctant, she managed to stand and climb out of the spring, feeling just a little unsteady. The wet fabric of her new clothing clung to her skin in a way that made her feel a little awkward again. This was yet another entirely new experience.

Dritz was torn. The hour had been so relaxing, he was nearly floppy, even his antennae were lazily reclining against his hair, which was dripping from the steam, and his eyelids were heavy. On the other hand, he was very aware of his skin feeling tight, and he was looking forward to cooling down a bit.

“I guess we oughta get-” Dritz started, moving to follow Vela when she stood, but instead needing to remain seated for a second to admire her. The once smoothly fitting two piece she wore was now clinging for dear life in a way that only emphasized the subtle shape of her body. She was all taut muscle, cradled in delicate, soft curves, and if Dritz was not pink in the face beforehand, he certainly was after seeing that.

[Can’t wait to get back to the bedroom,] he signed, slowly and deliberately, smirking up at her. To hide the exchange, he spoke over the signage, “Phew, it is really warm, I’m almost glad to be out.”

Vela turned to see why Dritz was taking so long, but then she noticed the way he was staring, and had to smile at what he signed to her. [Soon,] was all she signed back, thinking longingly of the bedroom as well. Not soon enough, of course.

“Glad you two seemed to enjoy yourselves,” Orion was saying when she turned back again. “Though I agree with Dritz, it’s almost kinda good to get out and cool off. Maybe we could retreat somewhere for drinks? That would help.” The human tossed them both one of the soft towels that had been sitting on the stand near the far end of the springs, and Vela gladly wrapped it around her body with a sigh. Maybe she had just been enjoying some incredibly warm water, but her instinct was to cover up again immediately to prevent herself from losing any of that warmth.

Dritz was still working at drying himself, but Vela found herself momentarily intrigued by the control panel for the springs. [Show me how to turn it back?] she signed to Orion slowly, which he seemed to understand. He took her over and began telling her what he could figure out about the device, leaving Fera and Dritz alone for the moment.

Fera was still frowning as he watched them. He was also completely dry again without the need for any towels, thanks to his Coronal abilities.

Dritz flopped down on one of the dry benches where they had left their towels, basking in the heat and moisture for a moment, leaning back and supporting himself on his elbows. The spring had been just slightly too hot for him, and he could feel his skin was a bit tight, but Vela had been so happy, he was still smiling at the image of her drifting through the water serenely.

Fera caught his eye, off to one side with a sadly somewhat sour look on his face. Dritz stood, slinging his towel around his shoulders.

“Fera,” he said softly, smiling. “I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink and have a chat later, huh? Y'know, just the two of us? We can talk clothes again.” He beamed, looking hopefully at the prince.

Fera bristled slightly when Dritz approached him, but it was mostly out of reflex. Nothing had changed from their trip to this place, as far as he could see, but the Chrysalan’s tone somehow settled him again to a less irritated state.

“I don’t know. I suppose. At least you have some passing interest in fashion,” he sighed, glancing over at Orion. If there was one thing his lover still needed, it was some taste in clothing. Any taste, really. And it wouldn’t hurt to have another drink.

“Yes, fine. Later,” he continued, not sounding too thrilled about it. But if nothing about their visit to this planet went the way he wanted, at least it couldn’t be made worse.

_

After some cool drinks and a short time to rest and change clothing, the group found themselves split apart as Fera and Dritz joined each other as agreed. Orion had seemed curious about this, but had ultimately let Fera go without poking around in his business too much.

Now he was sitting in an elegant chair at a table situated next to the seaside which, for a hologram, was very convincing. Dritz was already arriving, and the prince waved a hand at him with a dramatic sigh.

“Order me a drink, will you? You know my tastes. I honestly can’t be bothered right now.” He was feeling depressed in some manner, more than he had previously thought, though it would not really seem so from his behavior.

Despite his overall intention, Dritz couldn’t help but feel pleased that Fera had agreed, almost readily, to have a drink with him.

He’d dressed in the well fitting yellow top that Fera had helped him pick out during their first shopping trip, and paired it with pastel striped trousers he reserved for… Well, they were unofficially his ‘date’ clothes; well fitted, flattering, and just a little snug. Vela always liked them, and he thought the colours went well with the yellow.

He’d expected to be early, but Fera was already there, looking somewhat unimpressed.

“Oh, sure… I’ll be back in a sec,” he said quickly, turning on his heel and going to get Fera a drink from the extensive menu. This time he chose a strawberry and rose champagne cocktail called a Myira Kiss, served in a long stemmed, wide rimmed glass with a wonderful pink mist drifting off it. In his other hand, Dritz had a dark green cocktail with luminous foam piled high on top of it.

“I hope you enjoy, it looked very you,” he said, setting it down in front of the prince.

Fera waited, tapping one elegant fingernail along the tabletop while Dritz ordered their drinks, propping his chin against his other hand. He couldn’t seem to stop reflecting on what an awful time he was having, or thought he was having.

So deep was he in this unpleasant contemplation that he didn’t even notice Dritz returning before the Chrysalan set an absolutely delightful-looking drink in front of him. The pink mist was intriguing, and he lowered his head to sniff in appreciation, finding it very appealing.

“Well done,” he said without even thinking about it, immediately taking a long drink. He found it llight yet somehow so flavorful and refreshing, and it was almost as though the effects of the alcohol had already set in by the time he put the glass back down.

“Alright. You want to talk about fashion? Tell me what it means to you,” he said quickly, without wasting any further time on small talk. It was quite possible the prince expected to be bored fairly soon within this conversation, but he would humor Dritz for a time for choosing a drink this good.

While Dritz was taken aback with both Fera’s praise, and sudden question, he beamed.

“Straight in, huh?” he said cheekily, winking at the prince. He shook his head, chuckling, “Well, I guess since Chrysala was so… Closed off from anything seen as frivolous for so long, fashion is important to us as a culture. Before, everyone was still happy; the levels of satisfaction with life have always been high back home, but now there’s vibrancy and individuality. My clothes reflect like, who I am. S'why I like bright, colourful stuff. And I like the freedom of just getting whatever I think is amazing, regardless of practicalities. I have my jumpsuit for practical use, everything else can be whatever, and I think that’s the coolest thing! You can show who you are without needing to express it verbally. Kind of like a universal language!”

He gestured to Fera, “Take yourself. I’d guess from your dress sense a strong sexuality and elegance but not for like, anyone unworthy. 'You have to work to know that side properly, but here, I will grace you with a fraction.’ And you’re real beautiful, so you don’t need bright colours to catch the eye. If that makes sense.”

Chuckling, he shrugged, “I guess I can talk about clothes and stuff more than I thought.”

“Mmm.” Fera had half of his attention on his drink, and the other half on what Dritz was saying. He did hear everything, however. The topic was fashion, after all. And though he wouldn’t admit it, Chrysala’s history with it was at least a little interesting.

He arched an eyebrow and smirked at Dritz’s “guess” about himself. He was genuinely amused, and had enough alcohol in his system by now that he just felt tired of being haughty. While remaining poised, his tone when he spoke again was moderately more friendly than before. “Well, you may actually be right about that. I fear many don’t express themselves through clothing as well as you and I do.”

He took another sip from his glass before swirling the stem between his fingers, watching the liquid spin inside. “What I don’t understand is why your people took so long to obtain a sense of fashion, so to speak. And how exactly were they happy without it? I can’t imagine being happy without beautiful clothing to wear. Though naturally, Coronal fashion tends to serve other purposes than mere… expression.” Despite his gradually relaxing manner, Fera wasn’t about to explain this statement unless Dritz asked him specifically what he meant.

“Honestly? I dunno,” Dritz chirped, shrugging. “Chrysala got so vibrant and fun after the introduction of fashions from other worlds. I wonder how we ever caught the eyes of others. The average number of partners a Chrysalan takes has even increased. Now, there’s not a correlation as far as I can see… But I like to think of them as being related.”

He sipped his own drink, humming happily, “So, uh, what is the other purpose of Coronal fashion?”

He was aware that he still needed to speak to Fera about his behaviour but… For the moment, the topic of fashion was too intriguing, especially with the promise of learning more.

Fera snorted delicately, rolling his eyes though he didn’t look that annoyed. “You wonder how you caught anyone’s eye. Your very appearance speaks to that, I should think. I understand that Chrysalans can come in a wide range of skin tones. But I suppose I have not seen so many for myself.” He smirked, thinking they had never personally caught his eye, and he had never taken one as a lover. But that was a topic he thought too dull to discuss at the moment.

He briefly beckoned at a server, indicating his drink in a way which left no doubt he wanted another. Indeed, it arrived at the table within what seemed like moments, and the prince found himself impressed again at their service as he took another long swallow from the fresh glass. If he went back somewhat tipsy tonight, it was certainly not a bad thing.

“Oh yes, Coronal fashion. I think I have stated before that the reason I wear white is because it is the color reserved for royalty. You won’t find a single scrap of white on a commoner. Luckily, I am naturally perfect in it, as you also said,” he continued, preening a bit. “Types of clothing indicate status, you could say. The lowest of citizens on Coronus will be wearing rough, basic clothing with very little detail. Whereas those with more credits to spend, those working in and around the palaces for the most part, can dress rather extravagantly. Not so much as myself, but I can tell you something: fashion trends tend to follow whatever it is I have been wearing lately.”

He giggled to himself after another sip of his drink. “Who knows what they will be wearing nowadays, I have not been back to Coronus for months. What will they do without me? I suppose they are all walking around naked.” This amused him more than it should, and he carried on laughing. Was the room starting to get warm? Yes, that must be it.

Dritz listened with amusement, picturing the Coronal people gossiping about Fera’s latest fashions and trying to emulate them. He wondered if there was a punishment for wearing white as a non-royal, but quickly cursed himself when he remembered the real reason he’d asked to speak to Fera.

“Hey, so…” he started with a smile, “I just wanted to thank you again for bringing us here. It was nice of you, and I know Vela really appreciates it too. But, uh…” His stomach knotted a little. It was not a physical confrontation, but it felt close enough.

“Prince Fera, I wanna talk to you about your attitude towards all of us,” he said softly. Fera would not deal well if he felt attacked, Dritz was sure. “You’ve been really, really rude to Vela at times, and she’s been really tolerant. I just… I really do think you’re a good guy, and I want us to be friends, but the way you treat others… It can be really mean. We’re nice beings. And especially Orion. He always has you in mind, and you can be pretty ungrateful to him. Is there something we’ve done? Why do you seem to hate us?” he said, rambling as he became bolder.

At first, Fera wasn’t really aware that Dritz was speaking to him. It was as though he had carried on to a different topic, or was still speaking about clothing. Eventually, however, he turned a slow but displeased frown in the Chrysalan’s direction, continuing with his drink while he listened. And it was certainly lucky for Dritz that he was drinking.

“I’m being mean?” the slightly inebriated prince scoffed, staring across the table with narrowed eyes. He chose to ignore what Dritz had said about the Vela, not wanting to discuss that potentially dangerous creature at all. “I will inform you that this is the way I always act. I am not treating you any more poorly than I would anyone else. Why should I behave in any way other than what’s normal for me?”

He did falter a little when he considered his partner. “But, I… It’s different with him. He’s very happy, especially in private. You wouldn’t understand at all. What do you know, anyway?” By now he was sounding a little more like he had too much to drink, even if he was still quite aware of the situation he was in.

“I just think that…” Dritz started, shrugging awkwardly. “Well, see… you need to treat friends differently. We’re not servants or peasants or your family, we’re different. Friends don’t judge you so harshly as family can do, and friends do things for you because they like you, not out of any kind of obligation, like a servant would, see? So… I asked you to come and have drinks with me because I like talking about clothes, and you like talking about clothes. I think that’s a nice thing to have in common. I didn’t ask to see you because I feel obligated to entertain you.”

He sighed, “I don’t have many friends, so those I do, I want to be real close to. You and Ori. Speaking of, he may be happy when you’re alone, I’m sure he is, but… okay, how would you feel if I was rude to him? You wouldn’t like it, because you care about him. When you’re unpleasant to him, I don’t like it. When you’re rude to Vela, I don’t like it, because I care about them both. If either of them were really unpleasant to you, I wouldn’t like it.”

Dritz shrugged, feeling awkward he’d rambled so, but awaited Fera’s inevitable ire.

Fera actually managed to listen to the entirety of Dritz’s speech. Sometimes it was hard to follow, but honestly… no one had ever phrased it this way to him before. Orion had tried, certainly. But he had never taken the approach of describing what friends actually were. Despite the alcohol, Fera’s eyes widened in a comical manner as he seemed to grasp the concept…. at least a little.

“Oh. Well that makes sense, doesn’t it?” he said after downing just a little more drink. “Except that it wouldn’t to me. I’ve lived my life on Coronus! What else was I supposed to know!”

He sighed heavily, slumping forward in his chair with his arms on the table. “Alright, fine. I can’t treat everyone the same. I understand. I think I do. I don’t know. If friends are so important, why don’t you have any more than… us? You’re the one who’s lived out here in the galaxy.”

Of course he wouldn’t say anything about the Vela. She was still suspicious, and he obviously couldn’t be expected to be friends with everyone.

Dritz frowned slightly, but ultimately, he could see what it was Fera was saying. He swirled the last of his drink around in the glass, only momentarily distracted by the colours.

“Well, I have you because I would rather have a few who were very special to me, than have a lot of friends who I only really have a shallow, surface friendship with. I’ve never really-,” he shrugged, genuinely confused and only somewhat sad about the facts as he spoke, “I never had a lot of friends in general. Not sure why. But I guess what I’m trying to say is quality over quantity.”

He finished the last of his drink and nudged it to the centre of the table.

“It’s still alright to make mistakes, Fera, you know that, right? Your life on Coronus was different, I appreciate that. I wouldn’t expect you to adapt immediately,” he offered in addition, smiling kindly.

Still listening (though maybe his focus was a little less), Fera’s attention caught on what he thought was the most important part of what Dritz had said. “Oh! Well then, you’re looking for quality, then of course you would choose me! I am the highest quality, the only friend you would actually need, in that case,” he proclaimed, preening slightly. He picked up his glass and started to drink from it, only to rediscover it was empty and put it back down again with an annoyed huff.

“So don’t worry, I understand. I will allow you to be my friend.” Despite feeling dizzy currently, Fera was fairly sure he meant it. After all, it seemed as though Dritz needed him. “It’s settled then. And of course I can change. Of course I can! It’s just hard, being the prince of such an important world and being told I can do whatever I like. Almost whatever.” For a moment he sounded glum, the loss of his ship coming to mind but then disappearing again thanks to his somewhat fuzzy mind.

“Someday I will get it right. Therefore, we are now friends. And we can drink to it.” He lifted his glass yet again, then peered into Dritz’s with a scowl. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath.

Dritz’s expression softened completely. The prince, while inebriated, was being so tremendously… Unlike the Fera he knew. In his own way, he was being kind, and reassuring almost.

And, for the first time, Dritz wondered if he had been unfair to Fera once or twice. The two of them had been brought up so differently… What if Fera’s parents had been lenient but distant? Being allowed to do as one pleased, without guidance or education on the consequences of one’s actions, would surely result in hollow satisfaction with the world, and a tendency to take kindness as a given. Maybe Fera didn’t even see kindness, just expecting others to treat him as he always had been; an untouchable royal.

He laughed, waving the serving staff over and asking for their drinks to be refilled, this time with sparkling fruit drinks after noting Fera’s manner.

“We’ll toast as soon as we get more. Thank you, Prince Fera, it’s an honour to be your friend,” he beamed. He would need to drop the Coronal off with his lover soon.

In something of a daze now, Fera waited for the drinks to be delivered, toasting to 'whatever the hell we were just talking about.’ He did vaguely remember, at least. He didn’t even notice the new beverages were not alcoholic, downing the entire glass at once and giggling to himself seemingly at random.

Somehow, he was now at the door to the room he was sharing with Orion. The human was at first concerned but then amused, waving goodbye to Dritz cheerfully before the Chrysalan went on his way. He then proceeded to tell Orion all about how Dritz actually needed a friend, and it had to be him but nobody else. Thankfully, Orion seemed to understand what was going on without too much trouble.

-

Vela had been annoyed by the concept of Fera spending time with Dritz, at first. When she saw how much it meant to her beloved, however, she was able to allow it without too much further worry. It had not taken her long to settle into the beautiful room, first spending quite a time gazing longingly at the large bathtub, despite having just come from the springs. She made herself wait, instead deciding to read through as many articles as she could find on the topic of this particular planet.

Before laying down to do this, she hesitated a moment. She had not forgotten earlier, the mutual longing she had shared with Dritz when they had tried on their new clothes, and spent time in the spring together. In fact it was all she could do to not hurry after him and bring him back just then.

Instead, in preparation for his arrival later, she stripped all of her clothing off and folded it neatly onto one of the chairs before stretching out naked on the enormous bed, laying on her stomach with the datapad in front of her. And when the door opened, it would be entirely obvious to Dritz what she wanted to do first.

Despite how he had ended up enjoying his time with Fera, Dritz all but ran back to the bedroom he was sharing with Vela, anticipating seeing her all the more. He swiped the card he’d been given, slipping in with a grin that only grew to one of awe when he spotted Vela on the bed.

The sight that greeted him was long, slim, beautifully pale legs, inviting his view to her soft backside immediately. His antennae wavered, which would have given away his interest were he not already grinning like the lovestruck idiot he enjoyed being.

“[What a wonderful greeting,]” he chirped, signing with it. Without saying more, he tugged his shirt off and clambered up behind Vela on the bed, kissing from her ankles to her neck, taking his time to ensure every inch of her skin got attention, soft buzzing in the back of his throat. “Have you had a good evening? I was thinking I might have a nice bath,” he said with over the top innocence as he nuzzled her silky, feathery hair.

The reaction she had expected was exactly the one she received. Vela decided not to ask Dritz about his own evening, considering how it had involved Fera, not to mention the fact that he had already taken half his clothes off and seemed on a mission to kiss every part of her that he could currently reach. Vela immediately pushed the datapad to the side, melting with satisfaction as she lay still, a pleasurable shiver running through her anytime his lips brushed an area that was particularly sensitive. Yes, this plan had actually been perfect.

[I was reading, so it was good. But now it will be even better,] she signed back, rolling to her other side and gazing up at him. She reached out, tugging at his waistband a moment. [I had better go too, to make sure you’re clean.] Although she was somewhat playing along, she was much less innocent in helping him out of his trousers as quickly as possible.

She went along first, as she had figured out the controls while Dritz had been gone. Bending over the bathtub, she could feel him watching as she turned a few of the controls, making warm water pour from multiple faucets and sending the colored lights dancing along the bottom and sides. [Maybe not so hot this time,] she signed when she turned around, smiling. She leaned forward and pressed herself against him tightly, tilting her head up for a passionate kiss. Then she gestured toward the tub, thinking it was big enough that he might actually be able to carry her in.

“No, definitely a little bit cooler. Just a little,” he purred, pulling her close. He smiled against her lips as he leaned in for a passionate kiss. He felt he could easily lose himself in the softness of her lips as his hands slid from her shoulders down, running over smooth, pale skin to cradle her backside in his hands. Bringing one hand back to her neck, he gently cupped her face, moving to kiss her neck and chest, down over her breasts, then her tight stomach and hips.

“We’ll get in, just… One minute,” he said, nipping the toned skin of her thigh. His kisses became more intimate, teasingly so, as he stroked the back of her thighs. Once Vela seemed warm and eager, he stood and scooped her up; the water in the tub nearly at the perfect level by that point, and he slipped in with her, lowering them both into the warmth.

Vela was once again lost in blissful enjoyment of her lover’s kisses. Her normal eye half closed, she watched him move down her body in a familiar pattern that she never grew weary of. She tried to reach out and tangle her fingers in his hair, but her hands felt too weak with pleasure and she only rested them lightly near his antennae instead.

By the time he stopped and lifted her into the bath, Vela was more than ready to continue. However, being in water again was enough to distract her temporarily. [This is amazing,] she signed happily, glancing around her at the glow of the lights dancing through the water and reflecting in distorted patterns on the walls, pink and green and purple. [If we ever have another ship someday, or a home… I want a bath like this in it.] She was only joking a little bit, being unsure if they could afford such a marvelous thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to dream about it.

The water was warm in a very pleasant way, and sloshed around her as she moved herself up to Dritz again, facing him as she straddled his lap. The sound was something she was unused to, and somehow excited her more as she slowly rocked her hips against his, kissing him and pressing against his soft, wonderful stomach in perfect satisfaction. She did manage to stop for a little while, leaning back to sign to him.

[In the bath… can we…?] She made a gesture that was fairly explicit for an Aurian, being the one she had taught him for the act of making love. Surely it would be possible, and somehow she didn’t think it was not allowed…

Dritz relaxed into the water with Vela atop him, low buzzing in his throat as he stroked her back, cupping water up and trailing it down with a happy sigh.

By that point, both of them were shivering with anticipation, the joy of waiting and teasing only making it more enjoyable, more intense. He kissed Vela’s neck, lapping warm water from her skin as he leaned close, “If you want to, then we definitely can.”

He lifted her effortlessly, and they sunk into the water in a flurry of warm, hungry kisses, until the water grew bone cold and neither of them cared.


End file.
